Grace and Mercy
Niiyah Johnson

According to The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the English spelling of grace comes from the French word grace. The word grace goes back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries when it was spelled grass or grease. The history of grace originated from the Latin word gratia which lead to the Spanish word, gracia, the Portuguese word, graca, and the Italian word, grazia. The first definition given in the OED is "pleasing quality, gracefulness." Another definition for grace is "favor." A favor is usually asking someone to do something for you that you don't deserve. When I think of the word grace, I think of something wonderful and powerful. To me, grace is a gift from God. I have always known its definition to be "receiving what is undeserved." An example of grace is forgiveness. No one "deserves" to be forgiven. Forgiveness is something we "undeservingly receive." So, that makes forgiveness a form of grace. I learned these things from my parents and church sermons. Grace is a big part of my life because it allows me to love and forgive others. If I were not living under "God's grace" I wouldn’t be able to forgive others as easily as I do. Because grace is a gift, there is nothing that we as humans can do to earn the grace of God because it is given to us. The word grace has been around for many years. Grace's meaning began as one which applied to attractiveness. It was later used to mean favor and then to mean gratitude.
Mercy is "not receiving what is deserved." In my opinion, to have the ability to exercise mercy one must have strength and control over their anger and rage against wrongdoing to be able to hear the whole story before flames are set upon the accused. Mercy is often left out of the equation when dealing with a wrong, because it’s often abused by the one who receives it. When being merciful you are kind or forgiving toward someone vulnerable, it asks not what a person deserves, but what they need. Understanding the pressures put on people and what they experience throughout life makes it easier to be merciful. Mercy is intimately tied to compassion and empathy. For example, in a court of law, a judge may show mercy to the convicted person by allowing a sentence less severe than the law allows for an offense. Without mercy, the world would be a harsh place. Grace and mercy go hand in hand; it is impossible to have one without the other. Mercy and grace are best illustrated in the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ. We deserve judgment, but if we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we receive mercy from God and we are delivered from judgment.