The Hebrew word hesed is one of the most important words in the Bible. Translators struggle to translate it adequately into English. Hesed is "steadfast love" and "loving kindness." I like "steadfast love" because it includes the continuing nature of hesed. Hesed is unwavering compassion that "endures forever" (Psalm 103:17), "from everlasting to everlasting." (Psalm 106:1)
Hesed describes God's regard for us. Love – consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, extravagant, lavish, unrestrained love. Appearing to Moses on Mount Sinai, God speaks the Divine Name: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in hesed and faithfulness, keeping hesed for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7)
But hesed is not only a divine quality. Because we are made in the image of God, hesed is also intended to be a character trait of humanity. Speaking to people who were attentive to the rituals and externals of religious observance, the prophet Hosea spoke in God's name: "I desire hesed and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6)
The word hesed was often used in covenants and contracts to express their everlasting dependability. Hesed was the word used by Jonathan and David promising faithful loving kindness when David gained the throne of Jonathan's father. The Bible commends the "good deeds" (hesed) of Hezekiah and Josiah. Nehemiah asked God to remember his hesed, his lifelong faithfulness.
Quaker scholar Richard Foster sees the law of gleaning as an example of communal hesed. Reaper were required by law to leave a border of the land unharvested and to allow the grain that falls to the ground to remain unharvested so that the poor might gather it. The simple fact of their need was the justification for hesed.
In our day, we need hesed structures for caring for the poor, the homeless and those lacking status or power. Access to health care, child care, nutrition, education, recreation, arts, equal dignity and basic safety are all structures of hesed. Care of the planet is hesed. Congress has a bill right now full of opportunities for structures of hesed.
Because of hesed we require children in cars to be buckled in safety seats and we require adults to wear seat belts. It is compassionate to require driver's tests and licenses to protect everyone near our public streets. In my parents' day it wasn't uncommon for children to drive in their rural county. Sometimes kids rode on their parent's lap. No one had seat belts. My mother now shudders at those memories.
If someone refuses to take a driver's test or buy insurance, even if their reasons are absolutely compelling to them, they may not legally drive on public roadways. We still love and respect them. They can still vote and keep a responsible job. But for the protection of the public streets, everyone must prove that they know the rules of the road and that they can drive. And everyone needs to carry insurance to make sure they can fairly compensate others in case of an accident. Common sense is often simple hesed.
In a pandemic, with safe, effective vaccines available, it is an act of hesed for everyone in public, indoor locations, or crowded outdoor events, to be vaccinated. Out of compassionate love we act to protect ourselves as we protect our neighbors.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. We should be kind and respectful to those who fear the vaccine. But steadfast love requires that we act responsibly for their protection and on behalf those in their vicinity.
Pregnant mothers protect themselves and their child when they vaccinate. There are few, very rare medical conditions for which taking the vaccine is riskier than covid.
I know of no religious objection to the vaccine. There certainly is no Christian objection. (See www.christiansandthevaccine.com)
In a time of plague, Martin Luther wrote, "I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence." Luther's words describe a practice of hesed in a pandemic.
Whenever we act with hesed, we participate in God's hesed. Unwavering, enduring compassion.
What if our laws and economy consistently practiced hesed – steadfast love and loving kindness? We would be a kinder, healthier society.