The Name of God is Mercy
A Reflection by Christine Jurisich
Finding Common Ground
At a time when there is so much suffering, and when people are focused on divisive political issues and beliefs, let us focus on the God of Mercy, our theme for this month. Spending time with the God of Mercy can soften our hearts and help us find common ground with those who are from a different religion or country, or who hold a different belief system.
Let us believe that, “The Name of God is Mercy,” to borrow the title of the 2016 book authored by Pope Francis. If we can gain a better understanding of mercy—and actually practice mercy—imagine how much different our encounters with people could be.
My Friend Amit
This reflection is inspired by and dedicated to my dear friend Amit, who passed away far too young this past summer. Amit and his wife Monika lived across the street from my family. They moved several years ago but always remain part of our cul-de-sac family. As I shared at his celebration of life, he was engaging, playful, curious, committed, compassionate, caring, soulful, and fun. He was the one dressed up as “Scream” for my annual Halloween chili night, and the one who created a tribute with a sign, pictures, lights, and flowers on the basketball hoop in front of my house when my son passed away.
Amit and his wife are Hindu. A few years ago, while taking a graduate class on the presence of mercy across religions, I interviewed them for an assignment. Amit was in the early part of his cancer diagnosis. The conversation opened up a spiritual friendship with him that continued throughout his cancer journey. The fears and realities that surround a scary diagnosis can break down barriers that would otherwise get in the way of intimate conversation. I asked Amit about his life growing up in India and how he experienced his Hindu religion. He had his own questions about my Christian faith.
I believe the thread of mercy is what linked our thoughts and beliefs together. We were two humans talking about suffering and the purpose of prayer and asking:
Who is God?
What is a soul?
I will forever treasure those conversations because they invited me to experience the vastness of God’s compassion. It is in that wide, open space of love and light that we come to know the meaning of mercy.
When we humbly stand before all that we do not know with an open and generous heart, we begin to gain a glimpse of this foundational definition of God.
What is Mercy?
Mercy is the expression of God's love—the kind of love that is steadfast, compassionate, reciprocal, and never-ending. God describes God’s self to Moses this way in Exodus 34:6.
“The Lord, the Lord,
a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Mercy is a reciprocal flow of God's loving energy. The giving must be received and reciprocated. Begin by being open to the love and tenderness of God. Breathe in mercy, and exhale it out to others. The more you open your heart to that love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, the more you cannot help but share it with your friends, family, and community. God’s love is never in short supply. It is endless.
This reciprocal flow means mercy is about being in “right relationship,” one in which both the dignity of victim and offender are honored and accountable. Mercy expects you to stand in solidarity with the suffering. It is not a one-sided experience. Mercy requires an encounter of mutuality.
Mercy takes on a beautiful dimension when you sit with “rahamin,” the Hebrew translation. The root term, “rhm,” basically means "womb." God's compassion and mercy are closely tied to the concept of "womb love," the love a mother feels for her yet-to-be-born child.
Mercy Lives Across Differences
There is a thread of mercy expressed in every major religion. We see it in the Hebrew Bible: "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9). As Christians, we look to Jesus’s commandment to "love your neighbor." In Islam, the Quran describes God as all-powerful, all-knowing, merciful, and compassionate. Buddhists work to live a life of compassion and—through the practice of Loving-kindness and the four Noble Truths—show empathy for human suffering and a path to peace. Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses as a way to learn how to get through human trials and help others.
Mercy Breaks Down Walls
When you are with people from other cultures or religions, there can be a tendency to focus on differences and even form walls. Mercy breaks down those walls; it is about an encounter of shared humanity. Since mercy is about standing in solidarity with the suffering, we are called to be open to the many different types of suffering from other regions, cultures, and religions. Surrendering into mercy strips you of your arrogance, preconceived biases, and fears of another and invites you to stand with your neighbor united in God's loving energy, however Loving Energy is expressed and experienced for you.
Mercy Requires Listening
Everyone sees mercy through the eyes of their life experience, and there are stories behind each viewpoint. When someone has an extreme view, there is usually a painful story behind it. The next time you find yourself frustrated by another’s point of view and saying, “That person is just not educated on the issue,” ask them to share their story. As you listen with “the ear of your heart,” as St. Benedict says, take notice of:
The love they received—or did not receive—from their family growing up.
The religion that sustained—or did not sustain—them through challenging times.
The institutions, government, organizations, and associations that helped—or did not help—them while navigating life.
Listen to their suffering and joy; failures and achievements; regrets and desires.
This is how we connect with each others’ shared humanity. This is where we can discover that the name of God is mercy.
Mercy Lives Within Our Shared Humanity
I am forever grateful for my class assignment on mercy across religions and that night my friendship with dear friends took on a greater depth. When confronting the frailties of life, the walls come down. The differences fade away. In their place are two humans trying to sort out and make meaning of life and death. In our last conversation, Amit said, “What matters is that we are charitable.” I took his hand, and I invited him to breathe in Love in prayer. In that moment, I received the gift of experiencing a bigger God of mercy in a way that is hard to articulate. I will hold that moment and Amit’s generous Loving Energy in my heart forever.
As my family and our cul-de-sac family have experienced with my son and now with our dear friend Amit, there are so many questions when someone passes away too young. At a time when there is so much suffering and divisiveness, focusing on the God of Mercy opens our hearts and minds to allow for intimate conversations that provide comfort and healing and help break down barriers.
During this challenging time, we need to focus on the God of Mercy.
How else do we make sense of life but to believe that the God who allows suffering and the God who creates all kinds of people holding all kinds of beliefs is also the God of Mercy.
Amit was an amazing photographer. (That's his picture above). His pictures are shot with the eye of someone who sees deeply into the Spirit of Mystery found in nature. Wanting to be merciful and help others, even in his weakest moments, Amit started a website selling his amazing soul-filled pictures to raise money for cancer supporting organizations. You can see his photography and support the cause here and his inspiring blog here. Share Below
How do you describe mercy? In what ways have you experienced it in your life?
Share in a Sacred Circle
The second full week of the month, we offer a chance to share the month’s topic in Sacred Circles on Zoom and in-person.