Have Mercy

“Unless we learn the meaning of mercy by exercising it toward others, we never have any real knowledge of what it means to love Christ”. – Thomas Merton

Merton is speaking to something that most people struggle with, mercy. We live in a dog eat dog, cruel world, where people see mercy as being weak or getting walked over. What we need to realize is that God’s mercy is the only way that we can possibly be forgiven. If God did not have mercy on us, then life would be fair. Thank God that life is unfair, for if life were fair, then we would end up in hell no matter the circumstances. God’s mercy has allowed us freedom to live for him and know that we have been set free by his redeeming love. If we as people cannot spare other human beings even a fraction of what God has given fully to us, then how can we even claim to know what it means to really love Christ? If we have no ounce of mercy within us, then we know nothing of what it really means to love Christ. Loving Christ includes acknowledging the grace and mercy that he has given to us and being so grateful for it that we have no choice but to do the same for others. Showing mercy is part of loving God.