Mercy Shines

"God's mercy and faithfulness
shine forth in a world
wounded by sin."

These words have been in my mind and heart this week. They come from the beginning of our Constitutions, and they seem to provide us with a real reason for living.

Our world is wounded by sin--we need only to look at the paper or watch the evening news to see the sinfulness of the world and the harm that it causes.

Yet, the story doesn't end there. I always wish that the news media would tell us more of the goodness, the stories that show the mercy and compassion of human beings toward each other.

The Constitutions go on to talk of God's great Gift of Love to us--the gift of the Son. Our world is wounded, yes, but God is still here with us, loving us, showing us kindness and mercy. I have to hold on to that mercy, or I can easily be swept away in the woundedness of our world.

I love that it uses the word "shine forth." What a beautiful image! In my mind, I can see the darkness of the world being lit upon by God's shining mercy! It's like the brilliant hope of a new dawn, full of grace and peace!

Blessings on the week ahead!

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