Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful…

We live in a world where it is easy to become coldhearted, unsympathetic, unresponsive, even unconcerned. We watch the results of natural catastrophes, war, and political violence, sometimes unfolding on a minute-by-minute live feed.

In order to cope with the pain and suffering that goes on around us, we have learned to not allow ourselves to dwell very long on the troubles of this world. In the process, we have become almost indifferent, merciless, or one might even say hardened.

How does Jesus want us to respond? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, … “Blessed are the merciful, for they sh...