9 Days Until - Countdown to Jubilee

In this video from Mrs. Avis Bembry (St. Cyprian’s, Pensacola), she offers the story of a young man who travels from his homeland in China to seek out studies in the United States. Tragically, he is murdered one night as he is walking back to his dormitory.

We learn that those who murdered him are caught and imprisoned. The young man’s family in China remains heartbroken and distraught, but they make a choice to convey mercy on his attackers. They actually start a collection of money for those imprisoned, so that when they are released, they have money for rehabilitation and a new life. It is an extension of mercy that is almost unbelievable. One of the elements of mercy is that it often finds us at some of our lowest places. The blessing is that it lifts us out of those places and impels us toward renewal or even rebirth.

FOR FURTHER REFLECTION Can you recall a story of what some might call “extravagant mercy”? Have you, personally, been touched by an occasion of such extravagant mercy? Can you imagine and pray that one of the outcomes of our revival would be a more expansive commitment to our own conveyance of mercy in our neighborhoods and in our diocese?

MERCY This week we focus on mercy, a word we use frequently in religious contexts or even colloquially: “mercy me, Lord have mercy!" Such common usage can sometimes dilute the true depths of this word. Being “merciful” is a quality attributed to God and one that God asks of us in return. We will explore various aspects of this attribute and its impact on our relationships in the coming week. Find all previous daily devotionals here