Love & Mercy
All virtues come from and lead back to love. Our love for others is shown in how virtuous we are towards them. We may feel love in our hearts, but unless it is expressed through virtue, it isn’t truly love.
Imagine the person that you love most. Picture him or her in your mind, and now imagine that you have done something small to be in his or her debt. Maybe they gave you a dollar and you neglected to pay them back. Maybe they bought you dinner and you never returned the favor. Now imagine that they not only forgive your debt, but explicitly tell you that you owe them nothing: “I did it for you out of love.” Your bond of love for that person has just grown a little bit.
Now imagine that same person, but this time, imagine you’ve done something huge to be in their debt. Maybe you stole $10,000 from them and refused to pay it back. If it’s your spouse, maybe you cheated on them or did something else to seriously break their trust. Whatever it is, you’ve severely hurt the relationship and destroyed the bonds of trust between you. Or so you thought. When this person comes back to you and says, “I forgive your debt, you owe me nothing, and I’m doing this out of love for you,” your bond of love for that person grows by leaps and bounds.
The largest transgression against our neighbor is infinitely smaller than our smallest sin against God. Anytime we sin against God, it is infinitely worse than the worst thing we could possibly do to the people we love most. Yet, when we go to God and ask for His forgiveness, we often act like the Canaanite woman in the Gospels—fearful that we are unworthy, or assuming God will ignore us because of our debts. Sometimes God even seems silent when we cry out to Him. But God’s silence is never indifference. He delays His answer not to turn us away, but to draw out our trust, purify our hearts, and deepen our persistence in prayer.
When God responds, He freely offers His forgiveness. He says, “I forgive your debt, you owe me nothing, and I’m doing this out of love for you.” Remember how greatly the bond of love was strengthened when the person you love most forgave your massive debt? Our debt to God is infinitely greater than any debt we owe to any human being on earth. Just imagine how strong that bond of love between us and God can grow through His great mercy.
All virtues come from and lead back to love, which is why we say that God is love. God is infinitely virtuous and continually shows His love through many different virtues, but the supreme way He reveals Himself is through His mercy. We have sinned against Him time and time again, and time and time again He grants us forgiveness. As St. Augustine pointed out, mercy transforms us: like the Canaanite woman, we come to God with nothing to offer, acknowledging our lowliness, yet realizing that even a single "crumb" of His overflowing grace is enough to heal and redeem us completely.
There is nothing we can do to earn this mercy, and nothing we have ever done makes us deserve it. The mercy of God is freely given because mercy is essential for any loving relationship. The more mercy we show, the more we allow love to grow. God is love and desires to share Himself with us. He shows His love for us by having mercy on us. He "forgives us our trespasses" to break through the barriers of guilt and broken trust that block a loving relationship with Him.
True mercy forgives any debt simply on the grounds of love: “I forgive you because that is an expression of my love for you.” There is no hidden agenda, and nothing is expected in return. Mercy is given simply for the sake of love.
How much stronger will your relationships be if you show true mercy to the ones you love? Don’t ever hold back mercy, because it is the fastest path to deeper and more meaningful relationships. All virtues come from and lead back to love. Mercy is the ultimate expression of love and the most effective way to help love grow. Follow God’s example: be persistent in your love, humble in your heart, and show your love by showing mercy.
