Final answer:
The theme of 'mercy' in the passage relates to divine grace, personal transformation, and the moral responsibility to show compassion and kindness towards others. It echoes the Christian teaching of Christ's sacrificial love and urges the exercise of both divine and human mercy as a remedy to social injustice and personal sin.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theme of the passage 'mercy' can be discerned by exploring the deep religious sentiment and the appeal to compassion and moral action. The texts highlight the transformative power of God's mercy, both as a divine attribute and as a human virtue. In Phillis Wheatley's poem 'On Being Brought from Africa to America,' mercy is central to the writer's personal journey from paganism to Christianity and serves as a reminder of the possibility for redemption, regardless of race. The powerful concept of mercy is further expounded through the depiction of Jesus Christ's sacrificial love and compassion for humanity. Other excerpts focus on the moral imperative placed on those in power to act mercifully towards the less fortunate, urging readers to exercise generosity and to shun evil, while also critiquing the lack of mercy shown by those who perpetuate oppression, particularly in the context of slavery.
The notion of mercy ties together the various pieces, suggesting a common thread of universal compassion and the ethical responsibility to act with kindness. Through a Christian lens, it presents a vision of a world where individuals, guided by divine grace, extend mercy to others, promoting a society grounded in moral rectitude and spiritual enlightenment.