There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (ELW 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.
Devotion
Throughout the month of May, I wondered at the abundance of seeds in the unexpected places of rocky soil or barren granite cliffs. The wildflower, Arrowleaf balsamroot, holds thousands of seeds in each blossom. It is hard to imagine those tiny seeds bringing such beauty to barren places. And yet, these seeds were ready to be widely sown wherever the birds or wind might take them. The Spirit, like a Gold Finch or Bullock’s Oriole, the Spirit, like a gentle breeze or stormy wind, spreads the seeds of a new creation.
Sometimes, I find it hard to imagine the broad reach of God’s love. Sometimes, I find myself restricting the wideness of God’s mercy, believing that I (or others) have missed the measure of worth. At other times, I celebrate the surprising ways the seeds of God’s word have been cast, finding root not only in “good soil” but in the rocky and barren places of life and this world.
Prayer
Open my imagination to the creative power of your mercy that mends and restores all creation. May grace take root in my actions and bring your love to life. “Make our love, O God, more faithful; let us take you at your word, and our lives will be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.” Amen.