What is mercy and in what human actions does it manifest itself is a pressing question. The modern world has a rapidly developing technological revolution that has simplified the daily life of each of us. In the race for personal benefits, other people’s problems flash unnoticed, but who wants to stop and give a helping hand to someone in need of support, because everyone has their own worries.
Mercy - what is it?
Kindness of heart, accepting the suffering and problems of others, the desire to lend a helping hand, regardless of the person’s guilt or innocence - this is what mercy means. The basis of love for one's neighbor, the presence of which helps to save lives and solve other people's problems, to show understanding, to help another - to save one's neighbor from difficult circumstances. Character traits closely related to mercy:
- compassion;
- sympathy;
- goodwill;
- care;
- unselfishness;
- understanding;
- condescension;
- humanity.
What is mercy - a moral state of soul in which a person shows gratuitous care for his neighbor, spending his own resources - time, money, health. By showing mercy, a person can receive an undeserved reproach (moral insult) in the eyes of others, who mistake mercy for showing undeserved respect or elementary stupidity.
Mercy in Christianity
In religion, charity is an important virtue, indicating that showing concern for one's neighbor is showing love for God and that every person is “created in the likeness of God.” All-forgiving love is expressed in Christian mercy; it can be shown towards the soul and body of the needy. Good Christian deeds, the manifestation of which save the human soul:
- to turn the sinner away from delusions;
- To teach the unenlightened a lesson in kindness and truth;
- give wise advice to someone in difficult circumstances or danger;
- give comfort to those in sorrow;
- do not respond with evil to an evil deed;
- forgive offenders;
- pray for your neighbors.
Deeds of bodily mercy towards one's neighbor:
- feed the hungry;
- give drink to the thirsty;
- to clothe the naked;
- visit a patient;
- visit a prisoner in a dungeon;
- shelter a wanderer;
- bury the deceased.
Why is justice needed?
Justice is necessary to avoid chaos in the world. Every person should receive what he has achieved and what he deserves. People who live with justice know that they need to fight and go towards their goals in life, and not wait for a happy turn of fate until what they want comes to them. You should treat everyone around you fairly. Then the world will respond in kind - these are the natural laws of life. Justice presupposes honesty: one should not deceive or lie to people. It is worth remembering that, first of all, at these moments you are lying to yourself. Be honest with yourself first, and then with others.
Why is mercy needed?
The desire to live in a world filled with joy and pleasant relationships is inherent in man. Mercy and kindness are the foundation of harmonious relationships in many religions and ancient cultures; the works of philosophers are devoted to them. It is easy to build relationships in society according to the principle of justice by analyzing the mistakes of another person, but such a position makes it impossible to receive leniency in difficult times.
Receive help without demanding repayment in return - develop spiritually, contribute to changes for the better, bring goodness into the world, give joy. No one knows at what difficult moment the need for help will arise, whoever is nearby will do a merciful act, regardless of social status or past mistakes. It is always nice to tear a piece of kindness and care from your heart.
Why is compassion needed?
We need compassion to the same extent as mercy. Don't you want to live in a world full of smiles, happiness, good mood? A person stricken with grief is unable to smile. Restore his faith in life - share his grief with him. The forces that will go into helping, fighting for the happiness of another person will return to you in double size. By doing good, a person feels a surge of cheerfulness and warmth. You can start transforming a gray, dull, insensitive world today, without delay.
What does it mean to be merciful?
To be merciful means that the benefit directed to another person is given freely - not for general praise, public recognition or subsequent thanksgiving. Mercy calms the conscience - a person did not reject the given chance to lend a helping hand, but, due to his ability, eased the life circumstances of someone in a bad state of affairs. Mercy extinguishes anger, suppresses selfishness, and this is an opportunity to accumulate spiritual wealth:
- wisdom;
- joy;
- ease of communication;
- sincerity;
- philanthropy.
Mercy is the language of humanism
Mercy is a benevolent attitude that treats all living beings equally at any given time. This quality is spiritual in nature, as it comes from seeing both oneself and other people as souls, not bodies. Realizing that all living beings are equal in their essence, it becomes obvious that there is no reason to be prejudiced, intolerant, radical, fanatical or negative towards anyone. Mercy brings liberation from a large amount of suffering both to the most merciful person and to those towards whom such mercy was shown. The achievement of mercy is an important stage of the spiritual path, which indicates correct development, and the absence of such indicates either incorrect progress or its absence. You can achieve mercy by realizing yourself and all living beings as eternal souls. This is not easy to do, but as you know, happiness is achieved through hard work. Good luck.
What do you need to do to become merciful?
Mercy and compassion, done anonymously, are considered the highest degree of virtue. The manifestation of such qualities is not an easy task - to take away your own means and strength to help a stranger, a generous act worthy of respect. The basic principles of a compassionate attitude are based on love for one's neighbor, care shown and assistance provided. To be merciful means:
- forget about personal gain;
- make concessions, forgetting the grievances caused;
- be able to listen;
- suppress fear (when coming to the hospital, do not think about the possibility of contracting the disease);
- donate money to those in need (an affordable share of funds that is insignificant for the person giving);
- find time for other people’s problems (visit relatives and friends - the elderly, disabled, orphans);
- help with simple everyday issues (show an address, warn about a danger, give a hint to solve a problem, help a person with limited physical abilities).
An article on the topic “Is there a place for mercy in the modern world?”
Is there a place for mercy in the modern world?
(Slide 2)
Is there a place for mercy and compassion in the modern world?
In an attempt to find an answer to this complex question, it is worth first finding out what exactly is meant by the word mercy. Mercy is directly related to the concept of compassion. Mercy is a person’s readiness to help someone out of compassion, to show kindness, care for any creature, not necessarily even a person, and at the same time, not ask for anything in return. Compassion, in turn, is sympathy for another’s suffering, grief, aroused by the misfortune of another being. Agree, these are really good personality traits that people should have. (Slide 3)
And for the first time they started talking about mercy immediately after the birth of Christianity, however, at its birth mercy simply could not help but appear, because Christ himself taught people to be kinder to others, to help those in need, and this is mercy. In our country, merciful service originated at the beginning of the 18th century, in St. Petersburg, complementing the basic Orthodox worldview. As a result, already in the middle of the 19th century, mercy won more and more new admirers and became one of the main ones in the Russian state. Around the end of the 19th century, the first sisters of mercy began to appear in our country, caring for the wounded and sick. Moreover, they provided this care for free, therefore, mercy can be considered a voluntary sacrifice for the sake of another person.
However, now our modern world is dirty, soulless, digitized. The electronic format depersonalizes and alienates people from each other; they no longer think about face-to-face communication, but only through communications (social networks, SMS, etc.).
(Slide 4)
A survey among 2nd year students of the Rakityan Agricultural Technical College showed that everyone lacks mercy, but young people understand this word differently. Students say there is little mercy in the modern world. They believe that people help only in extreme and rare situations, for example, in cases of serious illness in children. Many people say that people are becoming evil, the world is deteriorating. Acquaintances and strangers on the Internet laugh at the sick and the infirm, and this is very bad. Young people also believe that most people say one thing to their face, but behind their back they can say something completely different, and in reality they turn out to be completely different. They hide their emotions and their character.
Many have encountered mercy in their lives. They helped the sick or gave it to passers-by on the street, some were put in a collection box for those in need. Maybe this is mercy?
(Slide 5)
In fact, mercy is a complex concept. For some people it's like entertainment. But real mercy is when you are ready to give your last and really want to help someone. A person may never truly encounter mercy in his entire life. There may be kindness and care in his life, but there may not be mercy. Previously, people somehow treated each other better. In most cases, upbringing is based on one’s personal ego, parents say that a person must win on his own, be an egoist, that is, the child is initially taught that there is no mercy and justice, and a harsh reality awaits him. The basis of today's life is competition. Now in the age of information technology, many films show a lot of murder, meanness and injustice. These types of films are violent. There is especially a lot of cruelty in modern computer games, in which people constantly kill and kill. For many people now, murder is already something like that, nothing special.
(Slide 6)
But despite all the cruelty of the modern world, there are still examples of truly merciful people in society. For example, the head of the Fair Aid Charitable Foundation, Elizaveta Petrovna Glinka, better known simply as “Doctor Lisa.” She was a real hero of Russian charity. We can talk about her merits for a very long time. With the outbreak of the armed conflict in the southeast of Ukraine, Elizaveta Glinka took an active part in providing assistance to residents of the unrecognized republics, including the evacuation of wounded and sick children to Russia. For her work, Elizaveta Glinka has repeatedly become a laureate of various state prizes and awards. Doctor Lisa helped everyone she could, the sick, the wounded, and the forgotten.
(Slide 7)
She said: “People often ask me: why do I help those I help? To all these strange, scary people. I answer: “Because they are people too. There are no other reasons."
(Slide 
Another example of mercy in the modern world is the incredible number of relief funds. The most famous is the Gift of Life foundation. The largest Russian foundation specializing in oncology. Among the areas of his activity are raising funds for the purchase of medicines and equipment for specialized clinics, helping children who were unable to receive a quota for high-tech treatment, organizing the work of volunteers in hospitals, developing free blood donation, providing access to pain relief, etc. Among other things, the foundation provides outpatient apartments for children who come to Moscow from other regions for treatment.
(Slide 9)
No less famous is the “Give Good” foundation. Helps orphans, children without parental care and foster families. I would like to talk about such charitable foundations as the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation, which organizes assistance for children with cancer and other serious diseases of the brain. Charitable Foundation for the Rescue of Seriously Ill Children “Life Line”; Charitable food fund "Rus"; The Belgorod regional public organization “Holy Belogorye against Childhood Cancer” helps children of the Belgorod region with oncological and hematological diseases, works closely with the oncological and hematological department of the Children's Regional Clinical Hospital.
Charitable foundations are of great importance in the lives of people who find themselves in difficult situations, and every individual can take part in helping their neighbors. This is an indicator of mercy.
(Slide 10)
The most important human right is the right to life. In these difficult times, it is mercilessly trampled upon. But we are sure that kindness, compassion and mercy work stronger than any weapon. Our future depends on ourselves; if every person in this world becomes a little kinder and more merciful, then our society will change for the better.
Why should a person be merciful?
The problem of mercy and lack of love for others leads to suffering in the world around us and in human hearts. The principle of personal gain - creating comfortable conditions for yourself, regardless of the problems of other people - pleases vanity and increases selfishness. To be merciful means to take an active part in solving other people's problems, to increase kindness, to give love, to change the world for the better. Remembering the phrase of the Chinese sage Lao Tzu about mercy, we can say in his words: “Whoever takes, fills the palms, whoever gives, fills the heart.”
Adviсe
- Smile and appreciate everything around you.
- Offer to help younger siblings with their homework, comfort them when they are sad, or play with them when they are bored. They will appreciate it and will maintain good relations with you.
- Respect your friends. Your friends make you feel uplifted. Go out of your way to thank them or get together more often to get closer to them.
- If it's your parents' birthday, prepare a gift and make a special card to show how much you care about them and that you took the time to put aside your own affairs and celebrate their holiday.
The invisible world of our soul
So how can we better understand the meaning of the word mercy? Well, to do this you need to look inside yourself. Try to consider that distant, unknown world in which our feelings live. After all, it is there that mercy is born and matures.
But it cannot exist alone for long. Without love for others and kindness in the heart, mercy quickly fades away. Therefore, only those who have cultivated these virtues can be called merciful. Awareness of this fact will help to better understand the nature of the concept we are considering, so to speak, to see its origins.
What is the difference between Christian and secular charity
Poems about mercy are a common norm for the Christian community. Many psalms and revelations deal with this topic. This is not surprising, since mercy towards others is the main virtue for a believer. But is there a difference between ordinary expressions of compassion and what Christians preach?
You need to understand that any Christian wants to go to heaven, otherwise what is the point of his faith? Naturally, one can argue with this statement, and yet... it is unlikely that there will be a person who voluntarily wants to go to hell. But that’s not about that now. What is more important is that behind the manifestation of Christian charity there is almost always a desire to please God. That is, it is he who is the factor that influences the compassion of the believer.
If we talk about secular charity, it comes directly from the heart. Its source is the personal qualities and values of the individual. Such a person does not expect praise and reward from above; his goal is mercy itself. An example of this can be seen in situations where people are trying to solve certain social problems: feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, help the wounded, and so on.
"Roads of goodness"
After all the named and unnamed ordeals, the “Roads of Good” project was born in 2001. The organization was created with the support of government authorities - the Department of Social Protection of the Population of the Zheleznodorozhny District.
“Roads of Good” is an opportunity for a person to find like-minded people who yesterday also struggled with this choice and are now ready to help others not only with words, but also with good deeds.
Our organization is already 8 years old. During its existence, we have carried out more than three hundred charity projects and social events. We gained experience and watched. And we organized several major areas of work: we opened a School of Foster Parents, we help elderly people, disabled children, and we professionally train volunteers under the Social Project Manager program.
How is mercy different from compassion?
Compassion and mercy are very similar to each other, but it cannot be said that they are so similar that following one principle you can safely ignore the other. The basis of mercy is the perception of another living being who is equally identical to oneself, having the same spiritual basis. The basis of compassion is the vision of suffering as evil, the release of which is good.
The basis of compassion is the renunciation of actions that bring suffering or deliverance from suffering.
The basis of mercy is an attitude towards another that would make the other person’s life better, happier.
Compassion is applied to those who are currently suffering or potentially will suffer . However, compassion cannot be applied to a happy person. Such an application of compassion will take the form of a fanatical attempt to do good, which in itself will bring trouble. Mercy is shown to everyone at all times - both to those who are happy and healthy and to those who suffer.
How to find the line between mercy and convenience for others
Merciful people are ready to provide help, but some of those around them use it brazenly, crossing the boundaries of what is permitted. How to protect yourself from such people?
- Learn to say “no” when you cannot help or when a person is asked to do something unpleasant (men are known to feel sorry for women and persuade them to have intimate relationships).
- Fight the feeling of embarrassment and shame if someone had to refuse a request. For example, a person may simply not have the money to pay for groceries for a pensioner.
- Do not do good deeds “just not to offend.”
- Do not allow free use of knowledge and professional opportunities. It’s one thing to help the grandmother across the street, and another to write a paper for free for a classmate because he “really needs it.”
- Give up the "if I don't do something, people will stop talking to me" mentality. Let them stop. Then they did it only for personal gain, and no one needs such friends.
The main goal of our site is to make people's lives more pleasant and joyful, and for this it is important to organically demonstrate each quality, without detriment to ourselves and people. Have you ever met people who take advantage of your kindness?
