Today’s verse reminds me of a tragic event of the past summer. On June 17, 2015 during a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a lone gunman killed nine people and injured one other. The young shooter later confessed to acting in an attempt to incite racial tension. The world awaited the reactions of victims’ family members. We all would have understood if they would have called for justice alone. Certainly they would not be merciful.

Well, as today’s verse says, “Let those who go out, crying ... come home with joyful shouts.” These special people shocked the world by offering the gunman forgiveness and mercy.

This seems unimaginable! How could those who lost so much be forgiving — even merciful?! I can only think of one explanation. They had personally experienced the mercy and forgiveness of Christ. They were following Jesus’ example. In his words, “Blessed are the merciful.”

By Bill Ogletree from D365