Strained mercy

"The quality of mercy is not strained;It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath. It is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes..."It is an attribute to God himself;And earthly power doth then show likest God'sWhen mercy seasons justice." —William ... Continue reading

Mercy from a long way off

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons."A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and ... Continue reading

Bulletin: Democrats more fair than God

IFILL: Sen. Biden, .. [y]ou proposed raising taxes on people who earn over $250,000 a year. The question for you is, why is that not class warfare...?BIDEN: Well Gwen, where I come from, it's called fairness, just simple fairness. The middle class is struggling. The middle class under John ... Continue reading

Encouraging discouragement

Politics is fueled by discontent. In every election season, we Americans — the world's most prosperous and pampered people — take our complaints to the ballot box.It's the nature of a democratic community that our collective unhappiness drives us to build something better. Like the oyster ... Continue reading

Mercy

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. — Matthew 5:7, NLT (Jesus speaking) In politics, power has only one purpose: to be used. In an ideal world, political power would be used only to bring good to the powerless, the voiceless, the disenfranchised. In the world of ... Continue reading

An Easter dialogue

I was late when I walked through the door. I spotted him after a quick scan of the little clutches of coffee drinkers, sitting alone at the back of the room. He'd seen me right away, of course, and lifted his head slightly in recognition.I purchased my drink and made my way to the table. He had ... Continue reading

Here I raise my Ebenezer

Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer—"the stone of help"—for he said, "Up to this point the Lord has helped us!" —1 Samuel 7:12, NLT Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I'm come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely ... Continue reading

Servanthood and the Schiavo Protocol

Jane was in the prime of her life when she was diagnosed with ALS. She had a husband, children and a busy, fulfilling career. She was respected by her colleagues and frequently sought out for her knowledge and wisdom. Life was good, which made the diagnosis of ALS an even greater ... Continue reading