The Heart of the Heart of God
Compassion and Mercy
Reflection By Robbin Brent
Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
- Isaiah 49:15
Mercy is where we encounter the fullness of the heart of God. The Greek and Hebrew root words for mercy translated include steadfast love, goodness, forgiveness, strength, lovingkindness, healing care and love, and innermost depth (womb).
Our Lady of the Sign and Mary of the Cosmos are two icons that depict Mary with an infant or a globe in her womb. These images reveal a God who has created us and loves us as a mother or father loves their beloved infant from the core of their being. This awareness has expanded my understanding of God as One who profoundly loves and cares for each and every one of us as beloved children, offering mercy through life-giving nourishment, care, love, and protection from the center of the center of God’s own heart.
When we respond compassionately toward ourselves and others, with all our heart, from the innermost depth or core of our being, the compassion and mercy we offer are medicine for our minds, our hearts, our bodies, and our souls. They heal and transform because through them we experience God’s ever-present love and care for us. God’s mercy always pours forth from God’s healing love because both come from the same source, the heart of the heart of God.
I find great comfort in knowing that whenever I can practice compassion and mercy, toward myself or another, I am serving as a bridge for God’s healing love.
Making it Personal: What do you think of the idea of God loving us from the deepest part of God, as deeply as a mother or father loves an infant growing in the womb? Have you ever experienced healing or reconciliation through an act of lovingkindness? If yes, what was that like?