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!