For Mercy’s Sake

Being the most powerful man on earth has its advantages. One of them is having some of the smartest people on earth as advisers. Nero was powerful, but his logical abilities wavered at times toward the less than sane. Very sane was Seneca, one of the top court officials. He was a philosopher and all-round bright guy. He wrote one time to Nero to distinguish pity from mercy. Pity, Seneca says is “akin to wretchedness” since there is a surrender “at the sight of the ills of others.” In contrast, mercy involves rational control of decisions to help the suffering of another. Seneca, like all Stoics, favored control.

Millennium attempts to show mercy to many of the world’s most wretched. There is control in distribution of benefits. Yet what Seneca did not address is the need for mercy. If mercy is pity’s better half, the question nevertheless arises why humans feel anything at all when confronted by the suffering of another? Nero is not a good example, but a response of some sort to the pain of others separates the rational from the insane.

Nero forced Seneca to commit suicide. It is alleged that while Seneca bled to death Nero asked him how it felt. Feeling someone else’s pain engages sympathy but it does precious little to ease the pain. It is perhaps for a reason that power is bestowed. From some of the heights that power affords, mercy descends ever more profoundly; like rain in a dry land.

James Clark

==============================================================
(c) 2003 Millennium Relief & Development Services, vol. 2 no. 31
'Insight' is a publication of MRDS to interpret current events in light of
the experience of members of our international network. 'Insight' archives
and other information can be found on our website. 'Insight' may be freely
copied with this citation. If you wish to be removed from this mailing
list, simply reply and request to be removed.

Millennium RDS, 5116 Bissonnet #358, Bellaire, TX 77401-4007
Tel: (713)961-5645 Fax: (713)961-5735 www.mrds.org insight@mrds.org.
==============================================================