Mercy

I love words like forbearance. It is an old word, one that we do not hear used much in the modern world. The lyrics from the song by The Hollies``He's Not Heavy” expresses the essence of the term. The singer is expressing the power received by sincerely seeking to serve. The Prayer of Saint Francis expresses this beautifully. 

An aspect of forbearance is mercy. Mercy can only be applied by someone who has power. In order to show mercy you must have some power over the potential object of judgment. Mercy is to withhold judgment and punishment from someone deserving.

We seem to be in the grip of a deficit of traits like kindness and compassion which are component parts of mercy. They are qualities that many see as weak. Mercy, like forgiveness, connects to freedom. If a person cannot show mercy they are not ready to embrace the present.

Mercy is a wonderful balm. It frees us up from the ugliness of self righteousness and the weight of carrying our pain. It has to be achieved before forgiveness.. The experience of mercy in the mind and heart is  the access point to healing from the past.