Want to End Violence? Then Embrace Mercy!

If you are reading this there is a good chance that you are either a Facebook user or at the very least somewhat social media minded.  If so, there is no doubt that you are seeing an ever increasing rise in uncivil behavior.  I mean every kind of uncivil, unkind, violent and hateful behavior.  From mean spirited postings, to vile acts of violence and everything in between.  Why? What can we do?

The fact that we are less half as likely to be killed as we were in 1991, a third less likely to be raped, and half as likely to be robbed (according to complied FBI UCS statistics),  bullying, hate-filled speech and intolerance are still  problematic and in some areas they are growing.  Certainly fear plays a huge role in this, as does the hype placed on everything in a 24 hour news cycle.  When we fear, facts and thought are replaced by feelings and reflex.  The fact that we are in an election cycle only heighten the tension further.  This fear and hype prevents us from entering into relationship with those we disagree with.  That breakdown in relationship further sends fear and isolation ever higher and the cycle repeats itself.

So how do we break some of the tension?  How do we break the cycle?  Mercy!

Pope Francis has declared a Year of Mercy beginning December 8th, 2015.  It could not have come at a better time.  Mercy has the unique ability to ratchet town the tension, break through the fear and bring us back into relationship with one another.  You do not need to be Catholic, or even religious to see the usefulness in such a powerful tool as mercy.  But, I fear, we may not all be working off the same definition of the word.  So first, what is mercy:

According to Webster:


MERCY
1
a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power;also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2
a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>

3
: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy

In the Catholic tradition, mercy can be acted out based on the Gospel of the Beatitudes and the life and actions of Jesus.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this in section 2447

"The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.

When we speak of charity (as in charitable acts), we are speaking of love.  Literally, these acts of mercy are acts of love!  As I said in my last blog post, our greatest weapon, our strongest tool to fight evil and make the world a better place is LOVE!  These acts of mercy are acts of just that: LOVE.  

So what can we do to change the world, we can practice acts of mercy.  They are all right there before us.  Imagine the transformation of the world if even a few of us would forgive more and bear wrongs with patience, rather than lashing out.  Imagine a world where consoling and comforting were truly virtues again and widely practiced.  Imaging how much better we could all make the world by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned and sheltering the homeless, just a bit more.   

It is never too late to start, never too late to act.  Can we all commit ourselves to practicing more mercy?  What a change we could make!  Every day we need to look at mercy and choose to act.  Who can we forgive today?  What insult can we bear patiently today?  Can we give something to feed someone today?  Can we cloth someone from our bounty today?  Even just hold a door and say hello? 

Just stop and breath for one moment and think of the world that awaits if, instead of worrying about who is out to get us today, we acted in love to bring one additional act of mercy to the world.  Isn't that the world we all really want to live in?   So please, turn of the TV, step away from the computer and do something loving for someone else.  Do it for your sake, the sake of the one you help and the sake of the whole world.

What 54 more ideas?  Go here!

It is Time to Raise Our Banner and Fight With All We Have!

To all my Christian brothers and sisters,

Now is the time to let go of our worldly attachments, gird our loins for battle and raise the banner of Christ!  Now is the time to join together, despite our differences of denomination, tradition, politics and geography.  Now is the time to act!

Look at our world!  Violence abounds - corruption keeps peoples in poverty and ignorance - politics moves ever farther from the common good - rhetoric has replaced action - knee-jerk action has replaced careful consideration - insult has replaced thoughtful conversation - disdain and offence have replaced dialog

We can tolerate this no more.  It must end with our generations whether boomer or millennial. We must rise as one and put an end to this on the field of battle. and that battle must be first and foremost waged in our own hearts.

Jesus promised us hardships and persecution:

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10–11)

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."  (1 Peter 4:12-14)

But do we act "blessed"?  Do we "rejoice"?  I can speak for my self that I, when insulted, have reacted poorly and added to the tension of the world by being offended.  But if we truly believe, if we truly take His words to heart, we must not be offended, we should rejoice and understand our blessings.  And then, we must act: 

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you," (Mat 5:44) 

So how do we do this?  We do not do it by being offended, posting snarky comments on social media, telling others that they are damned, cry out that we are being persecuted, or call others out as hypocrites.  We must rise up to the example of our Lord.  We must come to love those who hate us and care for them as we would be cared for ourselves.  And to do that we must ACT.  Prayer is one action but it is not the only action Jesus himself told us to take.  

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine,even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ (Matt 25 31-46)

As Christians we are called to action.  If we love our enemies, we must feed them.  If we love our enemies, we must care for them.  If we love our enemies, we must treat them with the same respect we would treat Christ Himself!  He commands it.  

So what of the refugees?  We must find ways to care for them: here or there.  We MUST help them, even if they would kill us.  Donate to a relief organization, organize a fundraiser, get a group to sponsor a family.  Something - anything to bring relief.  

What of ISIS?  We must protect the innocent and ISIS is a real threat to peace.  But, we must still see the humanity in our enemy and respect that humanity, no matter how hard.  We must set real examples of both strength and love as we fight so that the ideology can be destroyed.  And we cannot paint all Muslims as the enemy, they simply are not.  

What of mass shootings and violence at home?  We cannot allow ourselves to be drawn into hate.  We must set aside our politics and see the human face behind what is going on.  We must seek common ground and set aside the rhetoric of politics.  We must act as intermediaries to help those lost in ideology (on all sides) see the path to common ground.  

The hard part, we must be consistent, untiring, mutually supportive and courageous in our actions.  We can not longer cry "persecution!", we must instead be steadfast and rejoice.  Let that rejoicing turn us again to action with renewed energy.  

So let us raise the banner, fight with all our might.  Our weapon, LOVE!  

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/47038/#ZjzwGlEIWcyr80VO.99