The quality of mercy

This reflection started as something else.  Sometimes they have that way about them.  We never spent time in seminary years and years ago now defining God by attributes.  In June I will be leading a provincial retreat  for Daughters of the King on what it means to love mercy (Micah 6:8) (last year*s retreat leader chose to walk humbly).  It is probably not a surprise that I began with Shakespeare, moved to Wheaton, then to Chippie, and landed on mystery.  I am still an Episcopalian.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes (190)

William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I

In high school I missed the Shakespeare emphasis

That my siblings and my husband experienced.

Still it amazes me that Shakespeare returns

In snippets,

As truths,

Almost as much as the Bible.

This morning I think about the attributes of God,

Mercy in particular.

Before Wheaton I did not separate out

God*s attributes.

I did not consider His/Her qualifiers.

This morning I am stuck on adjectives, descriptors.

Shakespeare offers

Not strained

Like gentle rain,

Twice blessed.

I am not at Wheaton anymore.

Shakespeare would never

Pass muster.

I miss the professor*s dog Chippie.

He would allow me to run my fingers through his fur

A few times during that final term.

He barked at the men in class,

But let me run my fingers through his fur,

Particularly

When mystery was mentioned

As an attribute of God.