Christ had message of mercy

“I must be the only protestant in Poland,” I jokingly thought a few times.

I had the privilege of joining my fiancee on a pilgrimage this summer to World Youth Day. Instituted by the beloved pope John Paul II, an international World Youth Day occurs every three years within the Catholic church.

This year the closing mass – which followed a 12-kilometre pilgrimage walk, late-night prayer vigil and gigantic field sleepover (I was shivering all night in my poncho) – had 1.6 million young people from 185 countries celebrating.

You have to marvel at the sheer volume of this event. And what a gift to have brothers and sisters in faith from such diverse lived experiences celebrating together. What is perhaps most impressive is that the millions drawn to Poland for this event are not there to celebrate music, or beer (though there were some good draughts), or fine film.

They were drawn together to celebrate the mercy of God.

“Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” This declaration of Christ from the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:7) was the theme of the pilgrimage. Good news proclaimed to those from countries at war and those at peace, to places of moral depravity and others of integrity, to pilgrims who feel close to the embrace of God and those who feel distant. You could hear the message being translated into countless languages on the portable radios brought by different groups. A good reminder that mercy should flow in and between all cultures and ways of life.

Mercy is shown only to those who don’t deserve it. By nature, being shown mercy implies that you have no merit to receive whatever goodness is being given to you. What a gift to hear Pope Francis, the religious leader of approximately 1.2 billion Catholics, calling young people to live lives that are marked by a merciful attitude. Just as we believe we have received an undeserved mercy, we are called to model that attitude.

Regardless of your faith background the invitation to receive and live out mercy is a message for humanity. There is nothing to be gained by living out the alternative.

Is there anyone you need to show mercy to? Perhaps a family member, a people group, yourself? I will leave you with the words of the Pope speaking to more than a million bleary eyed young people with their hearts burning a few months ago:

“People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centred or small-minded. Don’t be discouraged: with a smile and open arms, you proclaim hope and you are a blessing for our one human family, which here you represent so beautifully!”

( Pope Francis, closing homily, July 31, 2016).