When Mercy Is Maligned

I ramble in sadness and confusion

Y’all, my heart aches for a world where basic kindness and decency prevail. Instead, we’re surrounded by voices of anger and exclusion, celebrating greed at the expense of grace. It breaks my heart to see the backlash against Bishop Budde’s faithful plea for mercy. And I’m just at a loss when it comes to the reactions of people who call themselves Christians.

I’ll never understand how anyone can willingly side with the powers and systems that thrive on fear and hate—the ones that profit a select few at the expense of everyone else. What baffles me most, even now, is how people who call themselves Christians can so blatantly contradict what their own holy book says is the very essence of God:

Mercy.

How are we even calling on the same Jesus?

Take Matthew 5:6-9, for example:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Or maybe Luke 6:24-25 hits harder:
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.”

And let’s not forget Matthew 25:41-43:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite me in; I needed clothes, and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison, and you did not look after me.’”

Even John’s words echo the same heart:
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (John 4:7-8)

And for those fixated on Law over Love, it’s not like scripture is unclear:

Exodus 22:25-27:
“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

Proverbs 22:16:
“Whoever oppresses the poor to increase their wealth, or gives gifts to the rich, will only come to poverty.”

And the prophets? Their words couldn’t be clearer:

Ezekiel 16:49-50:
“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me.”

Even Paul, with all his complexities, centers everything on God’s love:

Romans 8:38-39:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Today, my hope is wavering.

But hey, we can play the Bible verse slingshot game all day. For every verse about love I toss out, someone else can fire back with one about legalism or fear. It’s tempting to just walk away from the whole mess.

And honestly, that’s exactly what the power brokers want. It’s always been their play: keep us ignorant, scared, and divided. Hopelessness is their ultimate weapon—because when we lose hope, we’re easier to control.

I still believe in the Way of Love—the path that leads to peace for all of creation. But lately, it feels harder and harder to find people of faith who truly live it out—who love their neighbors as much as they love themselves, and as powerfully as they profess to love God.

That’s why I’m so grateful for the steady, loving light of Bishop Budde. She’s just one bright spark, but even that gives me hope. And I really need to believe there are more lights out there, flickering in this growing darkness.

So if you’re a person of faith who seeks justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with your God—please, please—shine your light. Let people see you. Let us find you. I know you’re out there.