Psalm 103:8, 11–12 (NRSV):
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.”
Reflection:
The kingdom that refuses to be contained does not only disrupt our structures. It also disrupts our instincts — especially the ones we have mistaken for righteousness.
Judgment gives us footing. It sorts a complex world into categories: right and wrong, faithful and flawed, responsible and reckless. When everything feels unstable, judgment can seem clear. It reassures us that we understand what is broken — and, more subtly, that we are not the main cause of the problem. We may not call it superiority. But the deeper question is uncomfortable: where have we confused righteousness with standing above someone else?
Psalm 103 challenges that stability. God is described not as reactive or easily angered, but as “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” The psalmist uses intense language to describe the extent of that love — as high as the heavens above the earth, as far as east from west. Mercy here is not measured. It is not proportional. It is expansive. It does not justify harm, but it refuses to let failure define identity.
This has consequences. If mercy is God’s default posture, then notions of superiority loses its foundation. We can’t claim to be shaped by steadfast love while building our identity on comparison. Accountability still matters — injustice still damages — but humiliation and dehumanization are no longer faithful reactions. Mercy demands that no one is limited to a single act, even those we find hard to understand or forgive.
In a culture flooded with outrage, mercy feels like going against the grain. Outrage depends on exposing others and shaming them. It relies on moral hierarchy. Mercy, on the other hand, equalizes everyone. It reminds us that we all need the same grace we give others. Lent challenges us here: not to lose moral clarity, but to let go of moral superiority.
Application:
Today, when you feel moral certainty growing stronger toward someone — during a conversation, while reading the news, or in a disagreement — pause and ask a sincere question about their experience before replying.
Writing Prompt:
What security does comparison provide you? What would humility cost you?
Prayer:
Merciful and gracious God,
strip away the comfort we find in comparison.
Root us in humility shaped by your steadfast love.
Amen.