Judgement and Mercy
New bike on my tenth birthday, chrome out in the sun
Mumps had me in the house, said I couldn't have my fun
But a boy and a brand new bike, well, that's a hard thing to keep still
So I snuck out past the hallway and I rode it down the hill
You found out, you always did, sat me down and squared my eyes
Talked some things a ten-year-old was too young to realize
Then you asked me, soft and steady, in that way that you do
"Son, do you deserve judgment, or do you deserve mercy from me too?"
And I said judgment, 'cause I knew that I was wrong
You showed me mercy, and you let me carry on
I didn't know it then, but you were teaching me to see
The weight of grace, the cost of it — judgment and mercy
Next time I got it in my head I'd cracked your clever code
Marched right up and said "judgment" — fearless down that road
But mercy's not a trick to play, and grace is not a given
That was part B of the lesson, son: sometimes the price gets given
And I said judgment, thought I knew just how it'd go
You held the line that time, and Lord, that taught me more than no
You were building something in me I'm still leaning on today
The weight of grace, the cost of it — you showed me both ways
Mama used to tell me, "your dad's so proud of you"
He tells it to the whole wide world — wish he'd tell me too
Well I've had that thought for years now, Dad, so let me turn it 'round
There's things I've never told you, and it's time I wrote 'em down
You'd show me how to do a thing, the proper way, the right
Then you'd just keep on showing me till the job was done that night
I never knew the why of it — I think I understand
Maybe you just spared me, took the burden in your hand
So here's my judgment, Daddy: you did right by me
And here's my mercy — none needed, you were everything to me
I finally understand the thing you gave so quietly
The weight of grace, the cost of it — judgment and mercy