“Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love and walk humbly with each other and our God for the good of all people — the good of all the people — in this nation and the world.”
— Bishop Mariann Budde
What does it mean to be merciful? Merriam-Webster defines being merciful to “being compassionate and providing relief”. Being compassionate is being sympathetic to others’ needs. To try and understand their situation and circumstance. Place yourself in their shoes. And by placing yourself in their shoes, think of how you would like to be treated if you were in a similar circumstance.
How would you feel if you escaped a tyrannical government that put you and your family, especially your children, at risk only to be threatened to be taken back to that country? How would you feel if you were persecuted and terrified that each day you would be found out and headed back to a place where you had no way of supporting your family? How would you feel if your life and the lives of your children were put at risk?
I would be terrified to say the least! And, I would want someone to be compassionate to me and my family. I would hope that someone would understand my plight and help me and my family. Just as the innkeeper gave Mary and Joseph the only spot he had left. They were grateful for something so simple as a barn to rest, to sleep, and to keep them out of the elements.
We have all been strangers in a foreign land. Whether we came to the United States as immigrants and had to begin life over. Whether we went to a new school, started a new job, or ventured out in life on our own. There have been a multitude of situations where we were in a place not like any we had been in before.
And, that is terrifying. We start out on our own in hopes for a better future, a better life. And that hope is what keeps us going. We know what the past looks like and the environment we left behind. But, our hope is that the future shines brightly with new opportunities for ourselves, for our families, and for our future generations.
And if we have people in our journey that accept us, support us, and help us to do good, it makes the journey more bearable. It helps the struggles become less daunting. It helps give us peace.
Haven’t you had others help you on your journey? Why? Because they saw you and wanted to help. Because they wanted to give of themselves to you and provide you more hope for your future. Because they believed in you.
So, why wouldn’t you want to help those in need? Why wouldn’t you want to be merciful? Why wouldn’t you want to be compassionate?
You may not agree with the circumstances that brought those folks into our country. But, is it right for us to treat them with no compassion or mercy? Is it right for us to turn away from their struggle? Is it right to not be humane? Is it right to not treat them the way God would treat them?
I don’t think so. And hopefully, neither do you.
