The Oasis - January 22, 2025
Author: Rev. Eric Dupee
January 22, 2025
I had an amazing Martin Luther King holiday watching the Boston Children’s Chorus perform at Symphony Hall in Boston. I’ve never seen anything like this chorus. It’s comprised of hundreds of kids, as diverse as it could be, from all over the greater Boston area. The joy and enthusiasm were infectious.
This year, the program honored the contributions of both MLK and Malcom X in the struggle for freedom, with songs by Tracy Chapman, Lenny Kravitz, and Curtis Mayfield. The way those kids lifted up a message of justice and freedom, left me energized and inspired.
On Tuesday, I was struck by a different message. It wasn’t a call for justice, but a request for mercy. During Tuesday’s inaugural prayer service, The Right Reverend Mariann Budde addressed President Trump and asked for mercy on behalf of people who fear for their lives, children facing separation from parents, and those who are vulnerable.
I know there’s a debate over whether or not the Bishop’s actions were proper. I’m not weighing in on that. That’s for you to decide. However, it has me thinking about the role mercy plays in the life of faith. Do you ever think about mercy and how it applies to you? Jesus preached, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” I’ve asked God for mercy, but I don’t often think about how I can be merciful in my own life. I suppose charitable giving or taking up collections for those in need are merciful actions.
I’m going to take a cue from the old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” and try to be aware of the mercy I receive each day. “Morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have needed they hand hath provided, great is they faithfulness, Lord unto me.”
Eric
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