Shaming of theTrue 

A fresh and unique blending of two traditionally disconnected topics---spirituality and sports. Follow Sly Young as he attempts to accomplish the feat of playing professionally in the three major sports using positive character traits taught through scripture.

Advetise with Us

               Mercy, Mercy, Me?

MICAH 6:8-O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God?
 
My first deep thought into the term “mercy” was while a teen-ager. The great Marvin Gaye recorded a song entitled “Mercy, Mercy Me” during my high school years. The song was a reaction to the ecological downfall of the day. Frankly, the times were not much different from our present times.

Now that I am older, I’m not quite sure if Marvin was referring to the Biblical meaning of mercy or the dictionary definition. At the time I never realized that there was a difference. The dictionary definition highlights two terms that the song probably was asking to be granted, a reward for something (to have pity) and some sort of compassionate treatment. In this sense because the world was changing for the worst, Gaye was crooning for some type of pity on the people who had to live through this destruction of nature and its elements. He was asking for some compassion as the pollution and decline of our resources where changing the world as he knew them—mercy, mercy (for) me.

God’s mercy is neither a reward or solely tied into compassion. Yes God loves us and the love becomes the root of his mercy, but that is not the meaning of the mercy needed to please God in the scripture. In the Bible, the Scriptural or Devine Mercy is a part of God’s character ALL THE TIME.

Mercy is a given when referring to God!! It includes compassion but is not only an action. People tend to think that when they are merciful that they have somehow done some great action that is not part of their “all the time” behavior. During the Biblical times when the people of Israel wanted to know what God required of them, to be merciful was on the list. The purpose of mercy in God’s eyes is that because of the love you have it creates different expectations. If mercy is a part of God’s character then the expectation is for it to be a part of our character. Additionally, he sees that we can change with the awareness of his mercy. Marvin Gaye for certain was seeking some compassion for the people of his times, but one wonders if his expectation of unmerited grace and cause for hope was that power felt through his voice.

The connection to sports is actually just as biblical as it is worldly. There is a term coined to describe a baseball/softball game that is no longer in doubt. When the score reaches a certain point, it is determined that the trailing team has no chance to comeback and win. This is generally referred to as the “mercy rule”. At a pre-determined inning the lead in the game must reach certain level. In a customary seven inning high school game the “mercy rule” is applied in the fifth or sixth inning. The team who is winning must be ahead in the score by ten runs or more. For example, after the trailing team has had a chance to score runs in five times at bat, if they are losing, let’s say 11-1, the game is over and the team winning is declared the winner at that time. Now you might think that pity is the reason for the shortening of the game. Well the pity was pre-determined and the expectation was placed before the contest began. Your team must stay within ten runs for the first part of the game or the game will be stopped at a time that you were told in advance. The mercy in this case is part of the make-up or character, so to speak, of the game. Many teams despise the rule because most want to continue to play and have an opportunity to comeback.

This is quite different from most people who agree with Marvin and ask for mercy. They see it as pity and relief from distress which does fit the dictionary’s definition. They feel the hope and encouragement to change the outcome has been taken away, but the character of the game grants grace because the score dictates the “mercy rule” be put in effect. Another example is when we were younger and playing table tennis/ping-pong you could be given mercy if you started the game slowly. You could get “skunked” if the score reached 7-0, 9-2 or 11-3 even though the games were suppose to go to twenty-one.. This was merely another example of a “mercy rule”. Marvin Gaye was emphasizing the need for mercy in our lives, while God wants it to be a major component to our lives. God has told us what is good; and what he requires. Walk humbly with Him, do what is right and love mercy to the point of making it a part of our character.

                                                                                                                            Fred Tudor  

Fred Tudor is a twenty-two year employee of the Cincinnati Public Schools as a Health and Physical Education teacher. He has been coaching at the high school level in Greater Cincinnati since graduating from Wittenberg University in 1979. His coaching stints includes stops at his alma mater Walnut Hills High School, Hughes Center High School, and from 1990 until present coaches at Wyoming High School. His church home is Cincinnati Bibleway Church in Madisonville, Apostles James and Grace Blue Pastors. Contact Information: 513.328.2767 E-Mail: Info@CincySportsWorld.com