Kyrie Eleison

Kyrie eleison down the road that I must travel
Kyrie eleison through the darkness of the night
Kyrie eleison where I'm going, will you follow?
Kyrie eleison on a highway in the night

Kyrie eleison.
Lord have mercy.
I remember those times when that was the only prayer.
When there could be no other prayers.
When even that prayer evaded my mind.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord have mercy.

And yet, Lord have mercy?
The Lord is mercy.
Why ask the Lord to have something that the Lord already is?
Lord have mercy?
No. Lord, share yourself with me.

Lord, cover me with who you are.
Lord, blanket me in your mercy.
In the times when the spirit prays,
When the holiness in me
groans,
Lord, be who you are.
Be the steadfast pillar you already are.
Show me your mercy.
Show me yourself.

As I walk down the road,
in the darkness,
lead me where I'm going,
down the highway in the night.
Lord, surround me in yourself.
In your mercy.

First stanza and inspiration from Kyrie Eleison
 Lyrics by Richard James Page / John Ross Lang / Steven Park George.

A Year of Mercy

Pope Francis has expanded indulgences for the Jubilee year of mercy, allowing all priests to absolve abortion, which wasn't the case before. This is normally reserved for bishops.  My understanding is that when the year is over, this ability will return to being reserved only for bishops.  This is part of a Holy Year of Mercy.

I'm writing because the phrase "Holy Year of Mercy" caught my attention.  One year of mercy. It's not without biblical support - remember the Jubilee year from the Torah (Leviticus 25)?  A year when land returned to its original owners and slaves were to be released.  It's not known whether the Israelites ever observed a Jubilee year, but the idea was so radical when I read it that I remembered it.

A jubilee year is radical. A year of mercy is radical. And yet, when I think about Jesus, I wonder if he would say, "A year?  Only a year?  I call you to limitless mercy, as you have received from the Father." Just as forgiveness is not limited to 7 times, but is limitless (as 70 x 7 would suggest), shouldn't mercy be the same? Aren't we glad that God has not limited God's forgiveness or mercy?

A year?  Probably not good enough.

Note on photo: We were walking on the marsh walk in Murrel's Inlet when we spotted this fellow.  I was so glad that I was able to get a picture of him (her? who can tell?)

Joseph

You may have noticed a pattern through some of the posts this week. Our Sunday school class was taught by Rev. Jan Thornton last Sunday. She focused on Joseph -- what can we learn from Joseph and how he responded to the Angel's instructions regarding Mary.

She said that exhibited mercy, a belief in the mysterious, and courage. These are characteristics the Holy Spirit enabled him to demonstrate, and we are called to demonstrate them as well.

Many things she said struck me as "a hah!" moments, but especially, "Joseph didn't have the advantage of Jesus' teaching." He didn't, but Jesus had the advantage of Joseph's teaching.

That idea was the basis of the three poems: Joseph's Mercy, Joseph's Faith, and Joseph's Courage.

Joseph's Mercy

The young woman stood in front of him
Head downcast, eyes staring at the ground.
Tears, filled with fear, dripped into the sand.
Men held her arms in a tight grip,
Making marks of shame in her skin.

The Pharisees told of her sin,
Unforgivable sin, to be beaten into the earth
By stones.
They stood by the law,
And he saw their sin for what it was.
Graceless. Unloving.

He saw how they were using the woman
For their own purposes,
Caring not for obedience to God
But only of securing themselves
Against the threat
That stood in front of them.

Jesus remembered Joseph,
And the stories he had told him.
Instead of a shamed woman and angry men
He saw Joseph.
He pictured the broken-hearted man
Who had believed his betrothed had sinned.

He remembered the story.
He pictured Joseph, sitting on the ground
Outside the home he had been building
For his new family.
Sitting in the dirt,
Holding a piece of wood
Dragging it aimlessly through the sand.
His dreams destroyed.

Until an angel had come
And had shown him the way out of judgment
And into mercy.
Joseph had stood by Mary
Against the stones.
Against the ridicule.
In obedience to the Father.

And Jesus witnessed mercy
In the life of Joseph.
The son demonstrated
What the Father had taught the man
Through an angel.
He stood by the woman.
Showing love, grace
Showing Joseph’s mercy.