“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 2.10

During a time of temptation and confusion, Peter is encouraging the people who were drawn to alternate ways of receiving and sharing in the blessings of God, to hold fast to what they had been taught.  Comparing them to ‘newborn infants’ he urges them on, reminding them that keeping the faith is a challenge and that stumbling is inevitable.  He reminds them of their chosen-ness – by God to receive love and mercy.  Today we celebrate Mother’s Day as we give thanks for their love and mercy in bringing us into the world and sustaining us as we grew from newborn infants to wherever we find ourselves – young and growing children or still growing (hopefully! in many ways), adults.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of being ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ and growing up I think we all found out at some point that Mama was similarly -way, truth, and life.  As growing babes, it didn’t take much faith to find that out especially when you strayed from the way – and a hind whooping was impending.  But after the “correction”, the judgement was transfigured into the truth of love and mercy – and new life.  A lesson learned for both mother and child. We were scared and cried but when her arms were soon again open, we rushed back.   And she too breathed a sigh of relief – both mother and child exulting in Love’s completion and fulfillment:  Mercy.