He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." // Luke 10:37
I let out an obvious exhale of frustration and said, “Babe . . . that’s not how I told you to do it.”
It was one of those late nights of packing orders in my cramped little red-carpeted office. My husband had graciously volunteered to help me finish some work for my small business and made a relatively minor mistake. I tried to sheepishly justify my rude response before realizing that I was clearly the one at fault. Instead of extending grace, I let my emotions respond with a biting edge.
Once again, I was failing to love the person I claim to love the most.
When I read today’s Gospel passage about “loving your neighbor,” I was deeply struck by the one word Saint Luke chose to distinguish the Good Samaritan from the others: mercy.
I began to think about the other “neighbors” in my life I have failed to love—the people who have been robbed of my mercy. Not just the predictable roadside beggars, but the people I rub elbows with throughout my day.
Maybe it’s your spouse or your children. Maybe it’s that roommate who leaves dirty dishes in the sink. That girl in your Bible study who talks too much. That coworker who gets away with showing up late every day.
Chances are, your little ordinary life is imploding with opportunities to respond with mercy over judgment, mercy over annoyance, and mercy over fairness. You don’t have to go searching in the streets—more likely you just need to look up from your couch or your dining room table.
Let’s beg the Lord to drown our hearts in the ocean of His mercy today, that it may spill over towards every person we touch. Come Holy Spirit, wash over us!
Jana Zuniga Pingel is an artist and designer based in Colorado Springs, where she resides with her husband. She earned her B.A. in Studio Art from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. She is the founder and owner of January Jane Shop, an online boutique for Catholic art and goods. When she isn’t busy doing entrepreneurial things, she’s cooking a new recipe, hiking a mountain, or party planning.
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