God of Mercy, People of Mercy
The Year of Mercy and the Mission of the Church
Portia’s well known speech in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice—probably quoted a lot in this Year of Mercy—startled me when I read it once again as I searched for words in literature to speak to you about mercy in a Year of Mercy. I was startled, because I found in these beautiful, powerful words the entire outline of what I want to share in this presentation about Mercy and Mission. God’s mercy, Shakespeare says, is an attribute of God as such. God is a God of Mercy, and human beings are most like God when they are merciful themselves, especially “seasoning” justice with mercy. Without God’s mercy, if God dealt “with us according to our sins” (Ps 103:10), none of us would see salvation.
Keywords: God of Mercy, Mission, People of Mercy, Mercy
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