God is revealed in his mercy
We understand I believe through experience, anger,
punishment and fear of those who rule over us
“For I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath” (Hos 11:9). That is an astounding statement. It says: God’s holiness, his Being Wholly Other, in contradistinction to everything human, is disclosed not in his righteous anger, not even in his inscrutable and inaccessible transcendence. God’s being God is revealed in his mercy. Mercy is the expression of his divine essence.”
― Cardinal Walter Kasper, Mercy: The Essence of the Gospel and the Key to Christian Life
To say one is a theist means that they subscribe to a certain understanding of the Infinite, or if you will, a theory. The mystery of God is profound and when we allow our own projections to take over, it is then that we lower God down to our level of understanding.
We can’t even understand ourselves or those around us, yet many think that they understand the Eternal. Even in our Scriptures, we can only discern from our level of maturity and understanding. The Word of God is true; it is our interpretation that can cause problems.
We understand I believe through experience, anger, punishment and fear of those who rule over us. In Christ Jesus we are shown that this does not apply to the love and compassion that God has for us…for the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We often preach our anger, or our fear, or our envy to those who do what we can’t. We often follow God out of servile fear and make that a virtue, when in fact love cast out fear as is stated in the 1st letter of John. We cling to fear because we can understand it. Infinite love, compassion and empathy is another matter altogether. What is the death to self that Christ calls us to? The answer can only be found in each heart that matures slowly in faith and love of God.
Mercy is shown to all; because Divine Mercy sees all…we do not.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
