Be Sendable!
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, even so I send you.”
John 20: 21
The Eigth Day of Easter is called the Sunday of Divine Mercy by many Christians and it is a powerful concept. Mercy is key in our understanding of the life and mission of Jesus. He is Mercy and He calls His followers to be Mercy too!
However, for us to be Mercy, there must be a countercultural presence in how we are and how we treat people.
Mercy and forgiveness are interrelated. We can not be mercy if we do not forgive those who have hurt us.
Jesus said from the Cross:
“Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”.
Luke 23:34
Jesus is the Divine Psychologist and Sociologist! Jesus knew very well that the actions of people against Him and His message was related to what was going on in their lives. The people who put Him on the Cross, though they were murderers, did not know and understand who they were dealing with. Jesus forgave them! Jesus had Divine Mercy available to them, if they would only come to receive it.
We are called to be Jesuslike! A mature Christian works to understand that people come out of cultural makeup and make judgements out of this base. We struggle to forgive those who have been mean to us, remembering the words from the Lord’s Prayer:
“Forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass against us.”
We cannot change the world, but we can be the change!
Again, Happy Mercy Sunday!
Pax.
Hermitage of Peace 