We've all seen or been on one side or another of this situation: A parent calls their kids into the living room, sets them on the couch, and asks a simple question: Who took my keys? If there is silence, the parent will ask once again with more details. "One of you took the keys that were sitting on the counter? If still, no one fesses up, the desperate parent may do something drastic and say something like this: "If you tell me now who took my keys, you won't get in trouble. Just admit you took them, and please give me back the keys." This short window is what's known as a grace period. As long as you admit what you did, confess and make it right, there will be mercy shown and you'll avoid punishment. You won't get grounded or even lectured. For the parent, the most important thing in that moment is getting the keys back, and the parent doesn't want the fear of punishment to cause the child who took the keys and maybe accidentally threw them in the trashcan to keep their mouth closed. The thing about grace periods is that they end. If the parent found out a week later that the keys had been thrown in the trash after the trash had already been taken out and picked up, now the child is getting in trouble for two things; taking the keys which they were not supposed to touch, and not telling the truth about what happened to them.

In today's passage from James, we read that mercy triumphs over judgment. That sounds good, but what does that mean? Both mercy and judgment ultimately come from God and are both important to God, but God is a merciful God who would rather you choose mercy than be left with judgment. This is why mercy triumphs; because of what Jesus did on the cross we now have the opportunity to choose the mercy and grace of God instead of standing under God's judgment. Many people have chosen this free gift of grace and mercy. This is what Salvation is. But sadly, far more people throughout history have rejected God's grace and mercy and instead choose to stand in judgment for their sins. They reject the offer that Jesus would stand in their place and instead choose to attempt to pay for their own sins...something they could never accomplish in their own limited strength and ability.

God not only desires that we choose the grace and mercy he extends, but He also desires that we would be people who extend that grace and mercy to others. In the same way that God is forgiving, loving, and compassionate toward us, we too should extend that same forgiveness, grace, and compassion to others. Keep in mind that this does not mean we ignore truth or justice. It means that mercy and grace supersede these things; they come first. Mercy triumphs over Judgement. Grace comes first, then truth. In the same way, we are currently living in a period of grace, but always remember that another period, a period of judgment, is coming. With this in mind, there should be a sense of urgency, not only for ourselves but for everyone we do life with and the message of good news they so desperately need to hear.