FULL OF MERCY

As I meditate this day, I cry out for wisdom. The “wisdom from above” is the wisdom needed. James, an apostle, writes, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” Now that’s wisdom!

The one phrase that jumped out at me is “full of mercy.” If it is “from above,” from God, it is full of mercy. Mercy is the equivalent of compassion, grace and kindness, the very nature and substance of God. The Wisdom of Sirach says, “The compassion of the Lord is for every living thing” and this includes people, the solar system, oceans, critters and all of nature. This is wisdom from above for every living thing.

The wisdom of mercy and compassion is a reciprocal thing. Jesus said in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Wisdom from above will only remain as wisdom when we receive it in gratitude and then give it away in the same gratitude to someone else.

“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Jesus