There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 588)
1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in his justice Which is more than liberty
There is no place where earth’s sorrows Are more felt than up in heav’n.
There is no place where earth’s failings Have kindly judgment giv’n.
2 There is a welcome for the sinner, And a promised grace made good;
There is a mercy with the Savior; There is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands Of new worlds as great as this;
There is room for fresh creations In that upper home of bliss.
3 For the love of God is broader Than the measures of our mind;
And the heart of the eternal Is most wonderfully kind.
There is plentiful redemption In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members In the sorrows of the head.
4 ‘Tis not all we owe to Jesus; It is something more than all:
Greater good because of evil, Larger mercy through the fall.
If our love were but more simple, We should take him at his word;
And our lives would be all sunshine In the sweetness of the Lord.
Text: Frederick W. Faber; Music: North American; Public Domain
Devotion
I imagine God tossing handfuls of mercy, reaching deep into divine pockets to grab more and widely (wildly) flinging it into the world. God’s mercy, love, and forgiveness are not distributed according to worthiness; rather God does what is needed to accomplish God’s plan of life for all. The sorrows of the world receive what is needed for comfort and healing. The failings of this world are judged with love. Created in the image of the creator, God intends for us to join in casting the seeds of God’s word of grace to bring forth welcome and healing, leading to the growth of a new creation in all humankind and throughout the world.
Let anyone with empty hands fill them with mercy!
Prayer
Fill my hands and heart with your mercy, O God. Lead me to be wild in my sharing of your abundant and life-giving grace. Amen.