Excerpt from James 2:8-13

"There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment."  (CEB)

Reflection by William C. Green

Mercy doesn't mean do whatever you want and be forgiven anyway. It means since you have been forgiven learn to forgive others, or pray that God does.

Mercy requires a lot of honesty. How many times have I hurt others whether I intended to or not? What mistakes have I made that I don't want others to know about? How often do I project onto others things I don't like in myself, forgetting they're more than that, just as I am? Where would I be without mercy? Where would any of us be without mercy?

God is merciful, not to get us off the hook, but so that, honestly, we can show that same mercy to others. We bring on ourselves the worst judgment when, instead of being merciful, we get stuck in anger and resentment. More than anything this is what divides us from others.

This doesn't mean withholding criticism or failing to take a strong stand against what we know is wrong. But judging in the spirit of mercy does require humility—and remembering that there's always at least one thing we don't know about what, or who, we're judging. Known, that could temper our judgment.

God, who does know all, shows mercy, not because we're guiltless, but because we who are guilty can yet be restored to responsibility. That's what forgiveness does. That's what love does. It lifts us up from where we have been to where we can be in the grace of God.

Prayer

All-loving God, may I show others the mercy you show me. Amen.

About the Author William C. Green, a United Church of Christ minister, is the Director of Long Looking, a consultancy service specializing in fundraising and education for congregations. He is the author of 52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving.

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