Madonna, St. Savin
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
One of the classic prayers of Christianity, and certainly the classic prayer of the Gurdjieff work, is Lord have mercy.
Yet Christ tells us here that the way to obtain mercy is to be merciful.
As vicegerents of a divine influence, mediated by the inflow of the sacred substances of life into our being, we are called to be merciful, not just ask for mercy. This means that our very nature was created so that we can manifest mercy on the level we are on. We not only have the ability to do this—we have a duty and a sacred responsibility to do so.
I was working in the yard today, repairing a broken plastic bucket, end it occurred to me that I really want nothing to do with any universe created by or populated by a vengeful, angry God. Frankly speaking, if God was like that, I would side with the Devil in opposing Him.
Well, thank God God is not like that. What I am trying to say is that every fiber of my being is opposed to the idea that we should be vengeful and not start with mercy and forgiveness first.
What got me to thinking about this what is the abusive behavior my ex-wife showed towards my children when they were young. I probably should have divorced her much earlier, like my neighbor who not only divorced his wife but got an injunction against her and is protecting his son from the very same kind of abuse. Pondering this, I wondered why I didn't take more aggressive action. Was I a coward? Was this man more more courageous than I was?
After some consideration, I realized that my great weakness in this matter was my forgiving nature. I’m too forgiving. I will forgive at the expense of my own well-being, it's true. I don't know why I'm like this – it's just how I am inside. I believe that no matter how awful or wrong, one should never counteract with vengeful or hateful attitudes. One must always try, in my opinion and in my experience, to come back to the other with an effort to be merciful. This needs to forgive, to try and find a path towards love. I don't have a shred of vengeance in me, somehow. Oh, there are fantasies of it, no doubt – but I just can't bring myself to act on them.
Has this helped me to obtain mercy? I don't know. But I do have an organic sense of what Christ is speaking of here.
For they shall obtain mercy.
One of the classic prayers of Christianity, and certainly the classic prayer of the Gurdjieff work, is Lord have mercy.
Yet Christ tells us here that the way to obtain mercy is to be merciful.
As vicegerents of a divine influence, mediated by the inflow of the sacred substances of life into our being, we are called to be merciful, not just ask for mercy. This means that our very nature was created so that we can manifest mercy on the level we are on. We not only have the ability to do this—we have a duty and a sacred responsibility to do so.
I was working in the yard today, repairing a broken plastic bucket, end it occurred to me that I really want nothing to do with any universe created by or populated by a vengeful, angry God. Frankly speaking, if God was like that, I would side with the Devil in opposing Him.
Well, thank God God is not like that. What I am trying to say is that every fiber of my being is opposed to the idea that we should be vengeful and not start with mercy and forgiveness first.
What got me to thinking about this what is the abusive behavior my ex-wife showed towards my children when they were young. I probably should have divorced her much earlier, like my neighbor who not only divorced his wife but got an injunction against her and is protecting his son from the very same kind of abuse. Pondering this, I wondered why I didn't take more aggressive action. Was I a coward? Was this man more more courageous than I was?
After some consideration, I realized that my great weakness in this matter was my forgiving nature. I’m too forgiving. I will forgive at the expense of my own well-being, it's true. I don't know why I'm like this – it's just how I am inside. I believe that no matter how awful or wrong, one should never counteract with vengeful or hateful attitudes. One must always try, in my opinion and in my experience, to come back to the other with an effort to be merciful. This needs to forgive, to try and find a path towards love. I don't have a shred of vengeance in me, somehow. Oh, there are fantasies of it, no doubt – but I just can't bring myself to act on them.
Has this helped me to obtain mercy? I don't know. But I do have an organic sense of what Christ is speaking of here.
There is nothing theoretical about Mercy. The effort to honorably and honestly show it towards others will cost us everything. And it needs to live within the very narrow of our bones.
May your heart be close to God,
and God close to your heart.
Lee
Lee van Laer is a Senior Editor at Parabola Magazine.
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