September 22 – The Flow of Mercy
Grace is not something we deserve; it is something we receive. It is like standing under a waterfall—we can only open our hands and let it drench us. Richard Rohr
Gregg’s Reflection
I’ve stood beneath mountain waterfalls, where the roar drowns out every other sound and the spray soaks you through. Richard Rohr describes God’s mercy like that—an infinite flow, far beyond what we can comprehend or contain. The invitation is not to analyze it, but to stand under it, to let mercy wash over our wounds and fears.
My own tendency is to want to earn love, to prove I am worthy. But mercy interrupts that pattern. Mercy says: “You are already loved, already forgiven, already held.” When I surrender into that reality, I feel less need to defend myself, less drive to hide my flaws.
And mercy does not end with me. Like a waterfall feeding the stream below, what I receive becomes what I pass on. The more deeply I allow God’s mercy to flow into me, the more freely compassion can flow out toward others. Standing under mercy transforms us from reservoirs of guilt into rivers of grace.
Scripture
Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17
Ancient Quotes
The fountain of mercy never runs dry. However much we draw from it, it overflows still.
Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs
Modern Quotes
Grace is not something we deserve; it is something we receive. It is like standing under a waterfall—we can only open our hands and let it drench us.
Richard Rohr, The Universal Christ
Journaling Prompts
- Where in your life do you most need to stand under God’s mercy today?
- What habits or fears keep you from receiving mercy fully?
- How might experiencing mercy soften your heart toward others?
- When have you felt mercy flow through you to someone else?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 38 Reflection: River/Divine Flow