'Tis Mercy All – An interview with author Natalie Williams

Earlier this week I caught up with Natalie Williams to find out more about her upcoming book, 'Tis Mercy All...

1. The title of your new book comes from the famous hymn line “Tis mercy all immense and free, For O my God, it found out me!”. How have you experienced being ‘found out’ by the mercy of God?

This is absolutely my favourite line from any hymn (and I’m not just saying that, I actually have these words tattoed on my arm!). The truth contained here connects with me in profound and precious ways; in fact the mercy of God astonishes me on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis.

The more I consider the mercy of God the more I spot it everywhere, in the Bible and in every part of my life. I’m loving starting each day at the moment by holding God to the promise in his word that his mercies are new for me every morning (Lamentations 3:22), and I’m trying to become hyper-vigilant for signs of his mercy as I go about my day. Even as I look back over heartaches and regrets I’m becoming increasingly aware of his mercy at work in my past.

It’s interesting to me that Psalm 23:6 talks about us being followed by goodness and mercy all the days of our lives, as opposed to always being led. It has certainly been my experience that I usually see his mercy later, looking back and seeing how it’s followed me. But I’m actively seeking God to spot it more clearly in the moment too. I’ve found that the mercy of God has even followed me down paths I never should have walked down, before – in his incredible kindness – wooing me back to himself.

2. What are some of the specific challenges that our generation faces in pursuing mercy?

I think we are a generation that cares passionately about justice (and that’s good and right and godly); but sometimes in our pursuit of justice we actively go as far as disliking mercy when it’s shown, and we certainly struggle to hold these two together. It’s interesting that the Micah 6 mandate for true worshippers ties mercy, justice and humility together. Sometimes we think we have to have one at the expense of the other, but at the cross of Christ we see all three coming together in perfect harmony. As followers of God (particularly in this generation) we need to consider what it looks like for us to pursue justice, mercy and humility together.

At the moment Western culture, and specifically cancel culture, is unforgiving and disbelieving of the possibility of redemption, having adopted a ‘one strike and you’re out’ policy. The church faces a significant challenge to demonstrate counter-cultural values, and be a people of mercy. Jesus said in Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”, and this is a beautiful invitation to image Him in this way.

3. As the Chief Executive of a charity that seeks to equip the church to lift people out of poverty, how do you stay patient (and merciful!) toward other Christians who perhaps don’t ‘get it’?

I find this hard! Mercy toward the poor comes quite naturally to me, but I often struggle to show mercy to the powerful, and especially towards other Christians who don’t seem to show concern for the needy. This is something I find God challenging me on regularly, and reminding me that His mercy is for all, and not subject to my selection process. I’m actively trying to cultivate a heart of mercy toward those who don’t ‘get it’, and even toward those who, by their policy or decision-making, cause people to remain trapped in poverty.

In fact one of my pre-recorded seminars for the Jubilee+ Churches that Change Communities conference next week is on this very subject. In ‘Handling frustrations with other Christians’ I talk frankly about what it’s like to be an activist who thinks your church leaders don’t understand, and Paul Mann (my church leader, and co-speaker!) responds by sharing what it’s like to feel as a leader that you can never do enough to please the social activists in your church. I hope delegates will find some of the (hard-won!) lessons we’ve learned useful in forging a way through as one team.

4. What stories in the Bible do you return to again and again to provoke you in mercy toward others?

The comparison I often draw when I preach is between Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel:9 and the prodigal son in Luke’s gospel. One of these men gets in to difficulties entirely on account of his own poor decision-making, and the other faces challenges because of something completely out of his control that happened when he was five (2 Samuel 4:4). In scripture both of these grown men are recipients of mercy. God doesn’t seem to draw dividing lines like we do, and often stand-alone verses strike me, like in Luke 6:35 when it says that “God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked”. I don’t want to be kind to the ungrateful and wicked, but God is (and has been to me!)”.

5. So, when can we look forward to reading it?!

March 2024 is the release date, which I’m sure will come around quicker than it sounds! In the meantime, I’d really appreciate your prayers. This book feels like a calling to me, almost like my whole life so far has been leading to it. My heart is burning to write it — I’m amazed and filled with joy that I get to write it.

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Natalie Williams, Tis Mercy All: The power of mercy in a polarised age (SPCK) is due for release in March 2024.

To book in to the Jubilee+ Churches that Change Communities conference on 12th November please visit www.jubilee-plus.org/ctcc22