MERCY

Mercy is.......

the mother in the refugee camp giving her slice of bread to her child to eat....
and that child sharing it with his small friend.

is a man jumping into the freezing river
to rescue a deer fallen through the ice.

is the girl playing dead in the Bataclan
telling herself in what she thought were her last moments
that all that matters is love, and that the light in human hearts
will always outshine the darkness.

is death when it comes after a long painful battle with illness,
when the soul is peaceful and ready for release.

is a town, a city, a country, opening its doors and hearts
to refugee families fleeing terror, and telling them
"you are safe and  welcome here."

is rescuing an abused or neglected animal, watching trust begin to shine in his eyes,
and discovering he has brought more mercy into our lives than we did his.

is waking up the morning after a difficult day, to a brand new opportunity
to begin again.