More Mercy.

A few Mondays ago, I was watching the Today Show with my sister. Only when I’m eating my breakfast or drinking my morning tea do I ever sit down to watch daily television. Even then, I only ever catch a small segment of it because I typically scurry off to something else that the day demands. But this particular episode held a simple truth, timed perfectly for me to hear.They were talking about Tiger Woods' win at the 2018 Tour Championship. Now, I don’t watch golf, but my family does. Apparently this win was a big deal because it was Woods’ first Tour win in 5 years, not to mention the fact that he had a massive spinal surgery nearly a year prior that jeopardized his entire career. It was such a big deal that spectators couldn’t contain themselves after his last shot and rushed the golf course. It was one of those history-making moments in golf that people will talk about for a long time.But like I mentioned, I don’t care about golf. What I care about is what Kathie Lee Gifford had to say about Tiger Woods.If you’re like me, when you hear Tiger Woods, you probably immediately think “scandal.” After word of his affairs got out in 2009, the whole world went from looking at Tiger Woods as an inspiring, multicultural, American success story to seeing him as the guy who serially cheated on his wife. You probably judged him harshly and wrote him off as a good-for-nothing man who deserved the ensued divorce and ruined career. If you’re really like me, you probably felt justified in thinking these things because his behavior clearly didn’t emanate the character of Jesus—and because Christians have a tendency to think that they are above the sin that others struggle with.As I watched the talk show, I judged. I felt frustration that a person who did such bad things and hurt people as terribly as Tiger Woods did would be experiencing such praise, much less success. I’ve always called it my “strong sense of justice,” but I often find myself confusing true justice with the karma that the world begs for. In the midst of my judgement, as the conversation turned to Woods’ closet of skeletons, Kathie Lee said something simple: “I think we all need to be a lot more merciful with one another.”Man. Let me tell you, those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I both wanted to retort back and challenge her, as well as to be more like her in my thoughts towards others. Truth be told, I often jump to conclusions and write off people who do things that I would consider wrong. Not the kind of things that only hurt them, like substance abuse or unhealthy emotional coping—no, those things trigger my mercy because I feel bad for those people. But people who hurt others? I could give those people a run for it. I’ve always thought that I could be an excellent child advocate or human rights activist, and maybe I will be someday. But in that one moment, after an entire message at church that was laced with “mercy is better” statements the previous day, I realized that mercy truly triumphs. I saw it in action, and it became real for me.One thing that my pastor said the day before that really stuck with me went something like this: “The problem is that we always expect people to be perfect, and we are astounded when they aren’t. If we would just accept the fact that people are, in fact, imperfect, we won't be so surprised by their sin and can love them a whole lot better.” Isn’t that the truth.Still, let me clarify. This doesn’t mean that we justify or defend wrongdoing. We should always be held together by truth and be passionate about what is right. We simply shouldn’t assume that we always know what right is. And when someone truly doesn't do what is actually right, we should (in a healthy way, even in distance) extend them mercy. Why? Mercy triumphs over judgement.Who is one person that has hurt you or someone else deeply that you can focus on forgiving and extending mercy to this week? That person may even be you. We all deserve a second chance. Isn’t that the Gospel anyway? I challenge you to bring your heart before God to be become tender toward others and examined in the way of Psalm 129:23 and 24. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” In forgiveness lies freedom. Let’s pursue freedom, together.words by Olivia Douglas and photo by Cate Willis