Lawd’ (Lord) Have Mercy…. An Advent Cry of Hope

As we enter the season that anticipates the arrival of the Lord, sent to save the world, if you read the headlines of the daily news, you are likely to shake your head and believe that the world is on fire. Yet, when I am at the point of feeling discouraged, I remember being in our dining room with my mom, Grandma, Aunts, or some elder ladies of the church who would shake their heads, shiver, and hug themselves then sincerely ask the Lord to have mercy on the people involved, proclaiming often through tears or anger: Lawd’ have Mercy! 

These cries often followed the death of their friends, the hardships of a neighbor or a national or international occurrence went against everything they felt was human. I later realized that in many ways, they were the prophets and intercessors of their day calling it the way it was and then committing whatever it was to the Lord in prayer and action. I would venture to say that I saw how the Spirit of God worked through folks like them throughout my life. 

You see, I believe that throughout time, culture and the histories of nations, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of Deborah, Lydia, Eunice and Lois, the God-Jesus rested His Spirit upon those who throughout time are led by The Holy Spirit to intercede on behalf of Hope. As people shaped in the image of God, part of our formation includes asking the Lord to have mercy on us in such a way that we are to, yes pray, and contemplate but out of that contemplation, develop a conviction to act. And with the Spirit’s leadership, bring hope to the earth while we are still in it. Here is an example of what God’s Word expects us to do right now. Micah 6:8 speaks directly to us: He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. S 

A Benedictine Prayer by Sister Ruth Marlene Fox gives legs to us in the following… 

“May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within you heart. May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people. May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain. Rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can have influence in this world, so that you are able, with Gods’ grace, to do what others claim cannot be done. And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Savior, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you remain with you, this day and forevermore. Amen.” 

So fellow journeyers in our quest for quiet, solitude and retreat, I have found that from to time to time the Spirit of God may be quietly urging us to cry out and to be an instrument of hope. We can emerge from being with Him with a greater sense of clarity and focus on how direction in the Spirit, can cause us seek God’s mercy on us as in ‘real-life’ life-scenarios in which the Spirit leads us. We have, if we listen to our world, seen God raise up leaders who rise from nowhere, from a life of solitude and prayer, to be God’s man or woman of hope for the hour. I believe that as we confront the tribulations of our day, we can and should be today’s intercessors. Rising to the world’s current dilemmas seeking in Him to use us to be hope in troubled times. Habakkuk 3:2, assures of that we can proclaim our sadness, yet still expect Him to use us to show up through us and be arbiters of hope. It reads as follows: 

“Lord, we have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2 

May this hope-filled passage remind us that Jesus came to bring justice to the world on fire. May this reminder to us of whom Christ said, “would do greater things,” cause us to move in faith pleading for the Lawd’ to have mercy on us ALL! 

Dr. Felecia Thompson, DMin, Professor of Formation, Spiritual Director, and Trainer for Fuller Seminary’s Micah Groups