Page 4 - Salesian Bulletin 2016 [01] January-March

A Tale of Mercy
We find it difficult to understand God’s mercy because: a) we see God as the just judge - a God of weighing scales. Or b) being merciful ourselves does not come easily to us especially when we are badly hurt. It may take a long time, if ever, before we allow the other, the ‘enemy’, to stand on the threshold of our mercy. Notable exceptions apart, our basic emotional reaction to being deeply hurt is often akin to ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. Initially at least, that seems to us, the most logical and fairest thing to happen. Our ‘need’ for justice calls for it and it psychologically facilitates the expression of the outrage and anger we may feel. Maybe it’s only when we experience some level of catharsis that our voyage towards being merciful can begin. Or c) another reason may be, that in our world of mayhem and death a world governed by mercy is beyond our comprehension.
Shylock and Antonio. The Merchant of Venice, play by William Shakespeare (1596-98). Illustration from Lambs Shakespeare Erzahlungen (Lamb’s (Charles and Marie Lamb) Tales Ifrom Shakespeare), by Else Dorn, Germany, c. 1880.
Artist: SCHEINER, Artus : 1863- 1938 : German
t is said that, during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon, if a man deserted the army he would be sentenced to
she said, “if he deserved mercy, it would not be mercy.” Surprised by her insight about the true nature of mercy Napoleon released her son.
William Shakespeare’s continued popularity rests on his perceptive understanding of human nature. His profound insights into human nature with all its positive and destructive tendencies are still valid. One of his most often quoted speeches is that of Portia in The Merchant of Venice. In it he challenges the notion of strict retribution (‘an eye for an eye’) using the metaphor of ‘a pound of flesh’. This expression is now freely used in the English language, largely because we are so familiar with its reality.
death. A man did desert, was caught, court marshalled and duly sentenced to death. However, he went directly to Napoleon and pleaded his cause. Napoleon revoked the death sentence and allowed him back into the army.
When Pope Francis opened the Holy Door in the Vatican on 8 December 2015 to begin the year of mercy he was symbolically inviting us to avail of God’s Mercy. What an invitation! – It simply says: ‘come as you are to accept a gift which is undeserved but freely and lovingly given.’ Our consumerist mindset, which has to pay for everything, may be even tempted to ask, ‘what’s the catch’? There is no catch. It is simply an undeserved gift. But in general, we find hard to accept and interpret the graciousness of God’s mercy.
However, sometime later he deserted again. This time when he was captured there was no reprieve. So his mother came to Napoleon and asked him to forgive her son. Napoleon replied; “Your son doesn’t deserve forgiveness, this is his second very serious offence.” “But”, his mother insisted, “if you won’t forgive him, have mercy on him.” “But”, replied Napoleon, “your son doesn’t deserve mercy.” “Ah”,
In the play Portia’s character challenges the assumption that strict
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