MEDITATION:Mercy is compassion on someone based on their need in spite of their deserving it.
I love the film “Les Miserables”(pronounced “ley mis erab”). It is about a criminal named “Jean Valjean” whom although paroled, was rejected by society and one day found his way into a church. He introduced himself as convict yet the bishop welcomed him, gave him food and was asked to rest in a room. Seeing all the silver utensils he’s using during dinner, he bagged all of them but was caught by the bishop which Jean punched in the eye and then left the place that midnight. The next day a group of policemen came to the church and with them was Jean Valjean. They dragged Jean back to the bishop upon seeing the silver utensils which he claimed were given to him by the bishop. To their surprise, the bishop with his left eye still swelling, told them that he really gave those silvers to Jean and exclaimed why Jean forgot the silver candlesticks too! Calling his maid, the bishop asked her to bring the two large silver candlesticks and in the sight of all, he put them in the sack along with the silver utensils Jean had stolen. After the police left, Jean still astonished, asked the bishop why he did it to him. The bishop, handling Jean the sack of fortune looked into his eyes and said, “Jean my brother, you no longer belongs to evil. With these silvers I have bought your soul. I’ve ransomed you from fear and hatred, now; I give you back to God.” That incident transformed Jean’s life and later became a force for good showing mercy to countless people.
Honestly speaking, “mercy” is a word used to be alien to my heart, not that I am a-grossly-indifferent-person but because the word mercy is a virtue which you can truly share only when you experienced it. When I became a Christian, the first thing I fully understand was that, God is a holy and righteous God. In my desire to please God I decided to obey all the rules I know. As an employee in Nestle before, I understand that you are to work 8 hours and allowed with 10 minutes coffee break and 20 minutes meal break. While at work where I was a mechanic I will try to fill those 8 hours by sweeping the floor, painting anything I see ugly and watching the line in standing position even though I feel so sleepy. During our 10 or 20 minutes break, I will try not to exceed so I would run my way from our department to the canteen only to be caught up in a long line of hundred hungry workers and before I starts sipping my coffee 8 minutes had already passed by. I did all those attempts for 1 week and then surrendered. I realised I cannot rigidly obey all the rules to feel “righteous” and so a dark cloud seemed to hang over my life because deep inside I believed I failed God. How can I please God? What followed was a thorough study of the law and grace and as I progress, I felt truly redeemed because I begun to understand the grace and mercy of God. I fully realised that by nature man is truly wicked, has no capability to change for good and truly deserves hell yet God so love mankind. I realised that when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour I was given the “RIGHT” to become his son. I realised that “righteousness” is a “STATUS”, a state that a wicked man cannot attain on his own but it is a “STATUS” freely given to anyone who will come to Him and surrender his life. And when a man is in that STATE, God will give him His Holy Spirit to empower him for life. Now I understand that this blessing stems only from God’s mercy and as I mature, I begin to treat everyone the way God treated me. I am not perfect, yet, the mercy of God that I received made me realised that we must see others the way God sees us; “a lost soul that needs mercy.”
GOD DESIRES THAT EACH OF US NEEDS TO BE MERCIFUL TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. MERCY IS A GREAT VIRTUE THAT BREAKS THE CYCLE OF RETRIBUTION FOR OFFENCES RECEIVED AT THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO HATE US. IS SOMEONE WAITING FOR YOUR MERCY BUT YOU FEEL INCAPABLE TO GIVE? JUST REMEMBER THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE, IT WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
Smile
Ptr Roger
