Mercy Triumphs over Judgement

There’s a story of Lieutenant Chalie Brown that flew a Flying Fortress named “Ye Olde Pub.” After flying a mission, his bomber was severely damaged. With no compass and being no further threat to the Germans, he just wanted to get home.

A German pilot by the name of Franz Stigler was told to finish him off but as he drew near he realised that this plane was no threat and was just trying to limp home. So at terrible personal risk of failing to follow orders, Franz Stigler saw it as dishonourable to shoot down what in his mind was an unarmed person, and took it upon himself to guide the B-17 safely out of the conflict area and even saluted him before turning back to the conflict.

Decades later after the war, Brown had never forgotten this incident and searched for this unknown pilot who showed him mercy. They met, became and remained as friends until they both passed away in 2008. This was an act of mercy that could well have cost Franz Stigler his life if he were found out.

So often in our own lives as Christians we are called to extend grace, to show mercy and forgiveness rather than to retaliate in an unrighteous manner. In our recent communion service, from the book of James, we had explored ‘favouritism’ which might be described as a form of unrighteous judgement. In a way, a righteous view of others, which might require us to intentionally curb our own preferences or biases, can be a way of extending love and mercy as we are called to. This Sunday we will cover the last few verses from James concerning ‘favouritism,’ with the reading from James 2:8-13. I pray we all have an open heart and mind to understand what God might say to us through this passage.

May God bless you all.

Josh