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Your Question:
How do we show mercy in a world where justice seems distant?
Answer:
As I reflect on the question of how we show mercy in a world where justice seems distant, I am reminded of the words of Jeremy Taylor, who said, "The cross ultimately solves this dilemma." The cross is where God's anger and wrath were fully concentrated, and yet, it is also where God's mercy and love were fully revealed. This paradox is at the heart of the Christian understanding of mercy. For us as Christians, mercy is not about ignoring justice or letting the guilty go unpunished. Rather, it is about recognizing that justice has been satisfied in Christ, and that we are called to extend the same mercy to others that we have received from God. As Frederick W. Faber wrote, "There is a wideness in God's mercy, like the wideness of the sea." This means that God's mercy is not limited to those who are good or deserving, but is available to all, regardless of their circumstances. As a pastor, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of mercy in people's lives. When we extend mercy to others, we are not condoning their sin or ignoring their wrongdoing. Rather, we are reflecting the character of God, who is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (Psalm 103:8). This is not a call to be naive or complacent, but rather to trust in God's justice and to extend His mercy to others, even when it seems distant or difficult.
Sources:
elemental theology
emery bancroft
depression
edward welch
power of a praying parent
stormie omartian
dogmatic theology
shedd
my utmost for his highest
oswald chambers
concise history christian thought
tony lane
ephesians
darrell bock
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