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MOCHAS, MIDRASH AND MYSTERIES Mochas, Midrash and Mysteries: Justice and righteousness Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News “No, we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., citing the Book of Amos 5:24 Witnesses for mercy and justice Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel gave witness to one of the great interracial and inter-religious friendships of the twentieth century. Before their first meeting, both men (independently) chose the cited passage from Amos as the theme of their remarks. Heschel had written a masterful treatment about the Hebrew prophets, which King greatly admired; King chose Heschel's translation of this poetic passage from the book of Amos for his talk. The men connected first as intellectuals and spiritual pilgrims. King deeply revered Heschel's prophetic sense of the causes and eventual effects of wrong ideas of rabid individualism, unbridled freedom and self-made-ism in American thought, politics and business. King saw vividly the horrible legacy of slavery and the underlying principles of racism that occasioned and sustained it, and the right remedy of nonviolent resistance to injustice. Praying with their legs After the men joined forces intellectually and spiritually, they committed to “praying with their legs” (Heschel). They walked together for civil rights in Selma, stood shoulder to shoulder for an end to the war in Vietnam and insisted on right thinking and right acting on key social justice issues. In a fitting epilogue to their friendship, Heschel spoke at King's 1968 funeral and Coretta Scott King reciprocated at the 1972 funeral for Heschel. Another mercy-justice friendship in our day Today, Pope Francis and Rabbi Abraham Skorka (of Buenos Aires, Argentina) give witness to a fruitful interfaith friendship. Their relationship has become a friendship in which justice and mercy — and variations on these key concepts in both faith traditions — are explored openly and with mutual respect. “One of the prophets' harshest criticisms of the people was they they prayed but did not act justly ... it is essential that we help our neighbors, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked,” said Rabbi Skorka in conversation with Pope Francis. Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis are issuing a prophetic imperative to do justice in our day, showing the world and especially the downtrodden the face of mercy — of loving-kindness, compassion and faithful love. A year of mercy Catholics worldwide are mid-stream of an extraordinary jubilee year of mercy. It extends from Dec. 8, 2015 through Nov. 16, 2016. “I am convinced that the whole Church — which has much need to receive mercy, because we are sinners — will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time,” Pope Francis commented when he announced the year of clemency. A true nexus of Judaic and Christian thought and practice is mercy. Mercy ( chesed in Hebrew) displays God's attitude/disposition toward us as his beloved daughters and sons, who are made in his image and likeness. What God has shown us, we are called to show others. Like Rabbi Heschel and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 20th century and like Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis in our time, let's commit to standing together for justice and for mercy. Let's not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Daniel Murphy promotes human flourishing through Integrity of Life Services LLC, and is a member of Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church in Ashland. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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