Mercy and Mercy

Beyond an Ethic of Justice

Dec 19, 2007

Saying For Today: True Christian love transcends justice. No one can survive with justice.

Breath Prayer

Wisdom Story

A traveler walked along a road. A man on horseback hurried by. There was an evil look in his eyes. He had blood on his hands. Minutes later a crowd of riders arrived and wanted to know if the traveler had seen a man with blood on his hands. The leader of the crowd commented that they were in pursuit of the man. Asked the traveler, "Who is he?" The leader informed him, "An evil-doer." "You pursue him to bring the criminal to justice?" asked the traveler. "Oh, no," replied the leader, "we run after him to show him the Way."

Today's Scripture

So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

Comments

Mercy in the New Testament implies varied shades of meaning. These meanings include grace, kindness, and love.

James writes of a spiritual law pertaining to mercy. Universal principles exist in the being of God, and they mirror separately in distinction and as one in unity the whole Being of God.

To violate the nature of God is to invite energies disharmonious with the perfection of these Living Laws within God. These are energies called "inordinate" in Christian spirituality; that is, they are not ordained by God, for they are contrary to the nature of God.

God is merciful. We connect with this universal law when we are merciful. This is to say we connect with God.

This connection cannot be superimposed on by the human will so that the universal principle is nullified. We choose or not to join in harmony with the nature of God, which is really what it means to be godly.

I certainly want to receive mercy. I long for Love to reach out and connect with me in my shortcomings and weaknesses, as I want to connect with Love. Then, I must give to others what I pray to receive, feel, and be thankful for from God: mercy.

Without a choice to practice mercy, I do not receive mercy. With a choice to be merciful, mercy flows to me.

True Christian love transcends justice. No one can survive with justice. Justice, generally, is only a nice way of excusing our revenge. Of course, "God" is at times presented in the Scripture as quite a "god of justice," but the limits of human portrayal of God must give way to the higher presentations of God, for that of the higher is always more divine and less human. If we had taken this important interpretive principle, possibly the Church would have been more merciful and less ungodly in much of its dealings with those both within and outside the Christian faith.

Reflection

Have you ever felt what it feels like to receive mercy? Do your best to describe that feeling.

Have you ever felt what it feels like to show mercy? Do your best to describe that feeling.

What, to you, is "mercy"?

Brian will respond to requests pertaining to seeking a Spiritual Mentor. He offers retreats, workshops, and classes in such subjects as Contemplative Prayer (he trains in Visualized Praying, Centering Prayer, Christian Meditation, The Jesus Prayer, ...), Contemplative Living, A Spiritual Understanding of the Lord's Prayer, and Spiritual Use of the Scripture. See any major on-line bookseller for his book An Ache for Union.

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