Have Mercy!

I was reminded again this week what a rare commodity mercy is in this world we live in.  I encountered a couple of situations in which it at least felt like that some followers of Jesus were pulling for their brothers and sisters in Christ to FAIL.  Unfortunately, Christians are often seen as the fastest to condemn and the slowest to offer mercy and forgiveness, when in fact this should be just the opposite. Jesus teaches us to love the downtrodden and offer justice to the weak.  It is my hope that in this season of Lent we will focus on sharing with the world the mercy of the Father as shown in the gift of the Son, so that the world may see who we are at our best- loving, forgiving & compassionate.  Today I encourage you to open you bible to Matthew 5 and read The Beatitudes. Then open your heart and your spirit to these words of encouragement and inspiration from some very wise writers.  Live your life mercy-filled.

And what does the LORD require of you?  That you do justice; love mercy; and walk humbly with your God.      -Micah 6:8

You should not let a single person in the world, whatever sin that person may have committed, come before your eyes and depart without having found mercy with you.  And should that person not ask for mercy from you, then you must ask it of him.  And were that person to come to you a thousand times, continue to love them so as to lead them back to the right path.  Always have compassion, for all of us have sinned.
                                                               -Saint Francis of Assisi

I will be my brother's keeper, not the one who judges him
I won't despise him for his weakness, I won't regard him for his strength
I won't take away his freedom, I will learn to help him stand
And I will, I will be my brother's keeper
                                                               -Rich Mullins/Beaker

Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.
                                                               -C.S. Lewis

The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry; the coat that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.
                                                               -Saint Basil


Because of Jesus,