Hallelujah Anyway

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes it can be joyous, and other times it’s downright scary and unsettling. In times of darkness, we can search for answers and come up empty. But then, out of the blue, we can stumble upon a solution.

Mercy is often found in odd places. When she is experiencing a difficult time, the author finds comfort in the Bible. Specifically, she finds it with Micah, the Old Testament prophet. In the words of Micah, all God expects from us is to be merciful, just and humble.

This might sound simple enough in theory, but in practice, it can be tricky

To be merciful, one must already possess certain qualities, most importantly being humble. Now, you might think that being humble isn’t so difficult, yet everywhere you look you can see that it’s in short supply.

People everywhere are striving to stand out and be celebrated by their peers with fame and recognition. Let’s face it, humbleness is not a common mode of behavior these days. If someone were to practice it, they’d likely do so in an attempt to be recognized as the best and most humble person around.

Why is this? Why does being humble and merciful come so unnaturally to us?

Everyone starts out as a simple, humble being, but then we all experience the trauma of being hurt when we try to approach others with a kind and open heart. This instills in us a fear that people will exploit our vulnerabilities or imperfections. So, instead, we build up defenses and move in the opposite direction to humility.

In the blinks ahead, we’ll look at how we can move in the right direction.