By Kahu Brian
I was reminded today of a great aspect of forgiveness which is mercy. Interesting the word “Mercy” in Hawaiian is “Aloha.” Aloha has many layers of meaning. It is as powerful and rich as “Namaste.” Literally “Aloha” means “we stand face to face sharing the interconnecting spirit of breath from ourselves through the exhalation.” Perhaps more simply “We give and share our spirit.”
Mercy reminds me of a story. There was a woman who was very compassionate by nature. So much so she became a nurse. She began to work in the emergency room. The injuries and tragedies were many. She felt like she was doing all of her “goodness” at work. One day she asked God to help her recognize opportunities to help others outside of the hospital. She said, “Please show me opportunities to be of service and bring mercy to an everyday situation.” That same night she was driving home from work to her country home nestled at the foot of the mountains. Her neighbors were far apart and it was rural area with no street lights, so it was very dark on the roads. As she turned off the main road, she saw a man walking alone on the side of the dark road. Her natural reaction was to lock her doors. As she did she heard a voice say, “This is the time.” She looked in the rear view mirror and said, “How about next time? I am alone and it scares me to pick up a stranger.” The voice said, “Turn around now.” She took a deep breath and turned around.
As she approached the man she rolled down her window a little. Through the crack of the window she asked, “Would you like a ride?” as inside her head she hoped the man would say no. He smiled and he said, “You are a blessing. I would love a ride.” After he got in the car he explained that he had to work late and the buses had stopped running. He had been walking for 45 minutes to try and get home. His wife was home with their new baby and worried for sure. He had given his wife the car to take the baby to the doctors. He hadn’t been able to let her know he had missed the bus. (This was before everyone had cell phones.) When they got to his house, she saw the light was on in the front room shining out on to the lawn. As the stranger got out of her car he turned to her and said, “You were a real angel. Thanks for your aloha.”
‘Thanks for the aloha’ could mean her kindness, but it could also be seen as “mercy.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson said he loved the advice he heard, “Always do what you are afraid to do.”
I would add, begin going through fear with aloha. Begin in “love/compassion/mercy” and fear will vanish. Aloha is like putting on a sweater on a cool evening. It is comfort and security and knowing that it is always there and surrounds you. Aloha is like the light in the window when you finally arrive home on the dark night. It is the kindness for a neighbor and yourself in every moment.
