Luke 7:12-15 CEB: “As [Jesus] approached the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When he saw her, the Lord had compassion for her and said, ‘Don’t cry.’ He stepped forward and touched the stretcher on which the dead man was being carried. Those carrying him stood still. Jesus said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up.’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”

John 8:7-9 CEB: “[The legal experts and Pharisees] continued to question [Jesus], so he stood up and replied, ‘Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.’ Bending down again, he wrote on the ground. Those who heard him went away, one by one, beginning with the elders. Finally, only Jesus and the woman were left in the middle of the crowd.”

The spiritual gift of mercy prepares you to feel deeply for those experiencing great physical, spiritual or emotional suffering and to act to meet their needs. You pay special attention to the “imago Dei” in each of God’s beloved children and feel moved to tend to the vulnerabilities magnified by unjust systems that show little to no mercy. In a world where power and greed often reign, you slow down to listen and look for the hurt, the sick, the lost, the excluded and all those being oppressed. Your sense of mercy isn’t satisfied with your being aware of suffering; it moves you to hear God’s call to action and to engage with the specific tangible or spiritual needs of the other.

At its core, mercy drives responsive care to the great suffering of those who have been cast out and trampled on by systems and societies. Those with this gift have a keen eye for where God’s people are crying out and discerning how the Holy Spirit is calling us to respond in accordance with Christ’s example. Mercy drives advocacy and the strength to step in and center the humanity of those in need. Those with this gift are attentive to ensuring compassionate outcomes for those who are often denied compassion; they contribute to their communities by ensuring that no voice goes unheard, that no need goes ignored and that the whole community truly cares for those who need merciful love.

Some ways in which the gift of mercy might show up in your spiritual and communal life:

• Advocating for more compassionate policies at an institutional level.
• Stopping to talk and share food with a neighbor experiencing homelessness when everyone else passes them by or avoids them.
• Visiting a homebound community member and providing them with communion through the ELCA’s “sending of Holy Communion” option.

Looking for more opportunities? We encourage you to reach out to your local synod. Connect, collaborate and co-create with peers through the ELCA Leadership Network.