The meaning of life is the mystery of Love.  Just as the roots of the trees hold firm in the soil, so it is the roots of love that hold the ground of our being together.*

It is that time of year. The trees are losing their leaves, creating a carpet of color over sidewalks, roadways and fields. Darkness lingers in the morning and descends in the late afternoon. This dimness cushions the world in a small hush. The days seem shorter and we let go of the dazzle of long bright sunny days of summer that trick us into thinking we have all the time in the world. This betwixt and between time of late fall, before the winter solstice, lends itself to slower activities of sitting before a fire, daydreaming, reading, drinking tea, lighting candles…

But while Northern California was still in her Indian Summer, I had a conversation with a friend about mercy. It was the time when hurricanes, flooding, fires, shootings flooded the newsfeeds in every medium.  The needs were overwhelming and it was easy to get stuck, paralyzed and not know what to do.  This friend’s desire to help a particular group of people now seemed pallid compared to the overwhelming needs we were confronted with on a daily basis. I nodded my head gently in agreement. And then began to tell her what keeps me committed to the mercy work in Kenya.  Yes, the needs in Kenya and all over the world, and even in our backyard, are tremendous.  Yes, it can feel selfish to be sending money elsewhere when our own neighbors are in need. Yes, this mercy work can often feel insignificant. But this much I know to be true—mercy is messy. It often makes no sense, especially when one stays committed to a particular area of mercy work for years. It is tempting to turn one’s back when things get complicated, or don’t work the way we might have anticipated. Sometime the players and the funding sources change. Sometimes a well thought out project “fails”. It becomes easy to get discouraged and quit.  The harder path, the merciful path, lends itself to the long view, knowing that the long view may not be within our line of sight.

The other thing I know to be true is this:  Mercy comes with a price and that price is Love.

And, so for all of you whose roots of love have held the ground of our being, and our mercy in Kenya together, I thank you. (You know who you are).

Always Mercy

Pamela