A Picture of Mercy?

The New York Times published a post today on their “Lens” blog titled “What Does Mercy Look Like?” For obvious reasons this title piqued my interest enough to follow the link and to “see mercy.” The post is a response to a book by James Whitlow Delano where he asked photographers from around the world to send him photos that, to them, embody the word “mercy.” This project was a result of the author’s experience of his sister’s death and the hospice care she received, which was in his words “merciful.”

Mercy or being merciful is not a foreign concept in the secular world. Non-Christians can be merciful simply due to the fact that they are created in the image of God. Despite the fact that mankind fell into sin and depravity with the fall of Adam (Gen 3) that does not mean that unbelieving men and women do not carry with them some vestiges of the imago Dei, such as being merciful that can manifest itself in everyday “secular” life. Therefore, a book and photographs such as this can be a great opportunity to see that merciful desire (fallen, depraved and sinful as it may be) play itself out in ordinary human life.

The blog highlights 15 photographs included in the book, and to be honest many of them are puzzling as to why that particular photographer would choose that photo to image mercy. As Delano commented, “Everyone’s interpretation is absolutely different. I didn’t challenge. I didn’t ask. If you say that’s mercy, that’s all I need to know.” Delano continues, “Sometimes it’s hard to see the mercy being shown.” As nebulous as a definition seemed to be for these photographers and as elusive for Delano to see, Christians have a very firm definition when it comes to God’s mercy and his grace. The amazing thing too is that we have been given “pictures” of God’s grace and mercy towards his children in the cross and the empty tomb of the Son of God, Jesus Christ revealed to us in the pages of Holy Scripture. Moreover, Christ instituted two sacraments that are visible signs and seals for us to see the promise of the Gospel. As Christians this is the true portrait of God’s love, grace, and mercy that always need to be at the forefront of our minds.