Today's #AdventWord of the day is #Mercy
In the quid pro quo notion of justice, whatever we do, we get rewarded. The ancient code of Hammurabi lays out the norm that the Punishment should be "an eye for an eye." If you harm someone else, you should be harmed equally. Hammurabi's Code was seen as compassionate in that time, as it limited punishment, whereas before, those who were found guilty could have all sorts of measures of punishment laid upon them.
In God's notion of Justice, God has shown us that #Mercy shall rule. In the Song of Mary, the mother of Jesus proclaims "release to the captives," an altogether shocking and merciful action that goes to the heart of God's love for all people. God will show mercy. We shall be released from our bonds, whether the bonds of our own making or others. God will show mercy. The rule of God is Love. And through the Incarnation, we are reminded of God's gift to us, of the way that God has become one of us in Jesus. And that the shackles are broken, and God's love precedes and follows us.
pmc+
