Mercy

In the midst of current turmoil, today’s reading at church, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, was timely.  The Priest and the Levite pass by the injured man on the side of the road, the Samaritan stops to help him.  After telling the parable there is that exchange between the lawyer and Jesus in Luke 10:36-37:

 “’Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?  ’”The lawyer replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’  Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

What does it take to inherit eternal life, to be a good neighbor?  Pretty simple directions from Jesus – have “mercy.”  I looked it up in the dictionary: mercy: “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”