We live in a merciless time. Our culture is slowly losing ground in national civility, human decency, and engaged compassion. Kind words and common courtesies come at a premium. Several cities and communities have become more dangerous than combat zones. According to a 2022 Pew Research Center report, nearly half of teens have been victims of cyberbullying, many being abused about their physical appearance. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to take a stand as a truthteller. Unfortunately, if you speak the truth or have a different opinion, our culture will most likely take steps to mock, gaslight, harass, threaten, or silence you. People seem to be creating their own meaning, rules, and authority, which has led to a growing sense of lawlessness. Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, “Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold” (CSB). Lawlessness leads to a merciless society.
At the turn of the 20th Century, novelist G. K. Chesterton, a mentor to Christian author C. S. Lewis, made a prophetic statement to his European audience on the verge of a world war, writing, “We’re all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe each other a terrible and tragic loyalty.”[1] As human beings created in the image of God, we are all bound to a “terrible loyalty” to each other because of the Fall. We have a sacred obligation to help one another navigate life’s unpredictable and distressing moments in a spirit of cooperation and kindness. Chaplains, we’re all in the same boat, called to provide ministry on the stormy sea of an increasingly secular culture. How do you cultivate a ministry of mercy in these merciless times?
First, it is important to fully understand the concept of mercy. The 1828 Webster Dictionary defines mercy as “a tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than they deserve.” Mercy is compassion in action. It is one of Almighty God’s most distinguishing attributes. God, who is “rich in mercy,” did not give us what we deserve. Instead, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to “become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people” by His death on the cross (Hebrews 2:17, CSB).
Second, followers of Jesus Christ are called to be merciful. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, CSB). Merciful people don’t hold grudges, nurse unforgiveness, or engage in violence towards those who hurt them or the innocent. They don’t question whether someone is worth their time and effort to respond in pity to a person in trouble or need. They don’t count the cost of their compassionate actions on behalf of a person in distress. Instead, they see, feel, and act to relieve the afflicted or the hurting. One commentator said mercy is about “getting down on your hands and knees and doing what you can to restore dignity to someone whose life is broken by sin.”
In The Hiding Place, Christian writer Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of how her family rescued hundreds of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust. In 1944, her entire family was arrested as Jewish sympathizers and taken to concentration camps. Corrie was sent to Ravensbruck, a prison camp for women, where over 50,000 were killed, were tortured, or died of starvation.
Three years after the war, Corrie was invited to Munich, where she spoke to a German audience about God’s forgiveness. After the service, a man approached her and extended his hand of gratitude for her inspiring message. Corrie had a flashback as she looked in his face, remembering her time at Ravensbruck Camp, standing naked before him while Nazi guards sprayed her for lice. He said, “Great message, fraulein! How wonderful to know my sins are at the bottom of God’s sea of forgetfulness! I was a guard at Ravensbruck and did terrible things there. I’ve become a Christian and know that God has forgiven me of my past.” Corrie initially refused to shake his hand. Convicted that she had just spoken about forgiveness, she prayed, “Jesus, help me shake this man’s hand.” As she extended her hand, Corrie said she felt a deep coldness leaving her body, running down her arm into their joined hands as she said, “I forgive you, brother, with all of my heart.”
Beloved chaplains, you have the opportunity every day to spread the mercy of God into the hearts and lives of souls who are casualties of a merciless world. As you exercise mercy to others, God will remind you again of the joyful blessings and mercy you received as a born-again believer. Thank you for answering the call to the chaplaincy ministry. May the Lord use you as His agent of mercy. May the Holy Spirit give you many opportunities to put your compassion for others into action for the glory of God!
[1] G.K. Chesterton, Collected Works, vol. 28 of The Illustrated London News, 1908-1910.