The word “strained” in this context means “constrained” or “forced.” In The Merchant of Venice Portia begs Shylock for mercy. She is saying that mercy must be freely given. We often confuse mercy with something that must be earned or deserved, but if that were the case the action would not be “mercy.” Shakespeare‘s thirty-two words are…
Tag: Micah
The Fragrance One Leaves On the Heel That Crushes Us.
Forgiveness and mercy are what heal, restore, and define us, that they actually are the fragrance that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.” — Anne Lamott, Hallelujah Anyway. Anne Lamott’s image of a rose leaving a scent on the heel that has crushed it, has stuck with me ever since I read it. It…
Angels Into Devils, Men Into Angels
“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” ― Saint Augustine Another great dividend we may expect from confiding our defects to another human being is humility — a word often misunderstood. . . . it amounts to a clear recognition of what and who we really are,…