Erring on the Side of Mercy

Art by Ade Bethune

Today I went to a parole hearing to advocate for the release of an inmate who is part of our Catholic worship and study group at Lansing Correctional Facility. When he was 24 years old he killed a man, and he has been in prison for 35 years.

Many people, upon hearing of his crime, would say that he should never be paroled. My perspective is different because I have seen goodness in him over our nine-year acquaintance and because I believe in a God of mercy.

We hear over and over again in scripture of God’s mercy, even for those who have killed, such as God’s beloved King David. We might ask how God can have mercy on such people. One insight comes from Psalm 139: God knows and loves “full well” the soul of every person God has made. In addition, the Book of Wisdom offers a beautiful meditation on God’s mercy:

But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;

and you overlook sins for the sake of repentance.

For you love all things that are

and loathe nothing that you have made;

for you would not fashion what you hate.

How could a thing remain, unless you willed it;

or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?

But you spare all things, because they are yours,

O Ruler and Lover of souls,

for your imperishable spirit is in all things!

Judging whether another person is worthy of mercy is a tricky business. I would not care to be a judge, who is tasked with attempting to read peoples’ hearts. I do believe that anyone who has killed carries that burden to the end of their days, whether or not they are imprisoned. I also believe that we all rely on God’s mercy, no matter the nature of our offense, and thus should be cautious about denying it to another.

Scripture is clear that if we want to put on the mind of Christ and be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect, we will err on the side of mercy. I don’t know if the parole board will do so in this case, but it is comforting to know that we always can count on God’s mercy, if not always that of each other.