The Fruits of Mercy

The word Mercy itself may be one of the most misunderstood words in the English language. If you search in google the medical community overshadows everything in the results with the exception of that character from Overwatch (Its a game I know nothing about). A few new songs use the word exclusively. None of them get it right, however. Unless they've done something worthy of asking for it that they forgot to mention in the lyrics.

Mercy is actually the act of withholding deserved punishment. That means that the one showing mercy has every right to pursue justice and doesn't. We don't see a lot of that going on around us, do we?

One of my favorite depictions of Mercy takes place in the play Les Miserables. Jean Valjean is fresh out of prison and a life of hard labor and is trying to find work. He not only finds no work but is starving and freezing to death when he arrives on the doorstep of Monseigneur Bienvenu. A bishop. He is true to his name, giving Jean food and a warm place to sleep. But Jean leaves in the middle of the night taking the silver from the dining room. It's not long before he is caught and brought back to the bishop by the authorities. But when the police present Jean to the Monseigneur he claims that he gave the silver to Jean and adds that he forgot the silver candlesticks. Jean Valjean breaks down in gratitude and vows to show the same compassion to his fellow man from that day forward. If only real life were like this. Everyone would want to be a social worker.

I can say that this hit home for me when I was sitting in my lawyer's office trying to decide what I was entitled to. Most women in my position take everything that they can, don't they? They take the house or make him sell it and give her half the proceeds, full custody of the kid(s) and child support, and perhaps even alimony. The thought of that seemed pretty crass to me. How do any of those courses of action benefit the kids in the long run? I was capable of making my own way without doing all that. I had to ask for cost of living reimbursement to have a roof over my head till I found work but that's all.

So maybe it's not justice. But justice and mercy do not sit on the same plain. If justice were served many people's abusers would be in prison for attempted murder. Mine would. In the end, however, what is accomplished? If I am in no further danger why should I lash out?

For judgment without mercy will be to the one having shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. -James 2:13

Sometimes acts of mercy involve doing nothing at all. When we have every reason to strike back with the ball in our court, the law on our side, and our friends and family supporting it; we have the unique opportunity to do the godliest thing man can do.

Additional thought: The above opinion is not meant to encourage or enable the wicked. If someone has done something prison-worthy and they're free to do it to others, that is enabling. We need to help protect others as well. Every situation is different. We use our own discretion and we must prayerfully do the next right thing.