Mercy or compassion

Mercy and compassion are often used as if they have the same meaning. But mercy has an additional sense of "forbearance towards one who is in one's power" (Chambers). Forbearance means "an exercise of patience" and clemency. That same dictionary has clement to mean "gentle, kind, merciful" and clemency to mean a "readiness to forgive". All beautiful ideas; words with a depth of meaning. For its part, compassion mainly means "fellow-feeling, or sorrow for the sufferings of another" (Chambers).

Both are important words because both are used in English to translate the Greek of Luke 6:36 - "Be merciful/compassionate as your Father is". That insight into the nature of God, the personality of God, was already current in the Old Testament as in Psalm 102 - "Yahweh is tender and compassionate/slow to anger, most loving" (Jerusalem Bible).

In classical Christianity the works of mercy are both spiritual and corporal. The first are: consoling, comforting,forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The second type are: feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.


In Buddhism, the Goddess of Mercy has a widespread following. In Da Nang, Viet Nam, this month, about 200,000 turned out for the opening of a new pagoda and the unveiling of a statue of the goddess on a hill - mountain, if you will - high above the city, as seen in the photo here.

The focus on compassion or mercy is one of the insights into what is true about God that Buddhism has also generated. Perhaps this is because, by its practice, it has given God space to speak in the hearts of its followers.