Mathew N. Schmalz

Apologies often cannot undo pain; but they can acknowledge it. And part of the cruelty of bullying is that the bruises it leaves are on the inside__t__ a hidden form of violence, shrouded by shame.

In our busy lives, intimacy often becomes a set piece__e sit down and make time for discussions, for togetherness, for sharing. But sometimes the most intimate parts of ourselves__ur desires, our fears, our needs and sensitivities__re revealed most strongly in the course of our mundane routines.

Mercy is God__ loving response to sinners; and mercy is our loving response to others__nd to ourselves__n circumstances of need. To this I would add that mercy, as an experience of love, has an unexpected quality__omething unforeseen or unanticipated. We talk about mercy when we feel or offer forgiveness, when we find or give help and assistance, but we also speak about __ercy_ when we are surprised by good deeds that catch us unawares and transform our lives for the better.

Choosing life is always messy. But it is there in the messiness, in the conflicted and often confused ways we live our lives, that we can learn how much mercy matters to us all.