Bear Wrongs Patiently

(c) Can Stock Photo

The act of mercy to bear wrongs patiently seems a bit backwards doesn’t it? As we delve again into the Year of Mercy, it seems that the object of this one should be the one being wronged, not the one committing the offense. So, how does this make sense? It helps me to know that people generally hurt others as much as they are hurting. Have you ever been in a line and had a person ahead of you just lay into the person behind the counter? Haven’t you ever been that person, whether it is in a line or in your own home? Think about what brought you to that point? Being on the receiving end of that pain, it is easy to respond by giving more pain, but the mercy lies in taking the pain given to you, and then moving into the pain of the other. So often, I have found that when I bear these wrongs patiently, the pain of the other lessens and so does the pain that they give to others. This act of mercy is not one of allowing abuse or violence without defense. Not at all. Instead, it is one of compassion and love that sees a soul in agony and is willing to walk through the mess and bring a chance to heal.