Kerry Walters has taught philosophy and peace studies at Gettysburg College for 25 years. He is the author Of Growing God: A Guide for Spiritual Gardeners and Soul Wilderness: A Desert Spirituality. In this ethically charged work, he examines the implications of meekness and mercy, two spiritual attributes advocated by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Over the centuries many have criticized these virtues as being foolish and irrelevant to the real world where success, domination, and control are the standards. Walters takes up the philosopher Nietzsche's condemnation of meekness as timidity and mercy as a strategy for manipulating others. The author also claims that there is a large gap between many Christians' profession of these virtues and the practice of them in everyday life. They run counter to the me-first approach that is so prevalent in society.
Kerry explores the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan and examines the intent of Jesus' commentary on meekness and mercy. He concludes that we should embrace these two solid virtues: "Meekness is a spiritual strength that bestows clarity on who we really are, harmonizes inner intention and outward comportment, and empowers us to undertake heroic deeds in the world." Christians who set out to practice meekness and mercy discover, along with St. Paul, that God's power is made perfect in weakness. Instead of a burden, it is a privilege to live a life where loving-kindness animates our relations with others. Kerry states that freedom unites meekness and mercy and enables us to become all we were meant to be as God's sons and daughters.
