After news broke Tuesday that Abedin was allowing Weiner back into their home following his conviction for sex messaging an underage girl, social media predictably exploded: “Hillary’s top aide invites a sex offender into her home,” one twitterer jubilantly announced on his feed. “EXCLUSIVE: Just when you thought Huma had enough, she invited her admitted sex offender hubby back home again” read another. Donald Trump Jr. was among the first to “like” that one. Then began the conspiracy theories about why she would do such a thing.

Abedin’s crime, other than being Hillary Clinton’s confidante, is the audacity to show mercy in a world intoxicated by schadenfreude and rage. It’s more than some can bear. Abedin seems to be willing to take the deeply flawed and broken father of her child back into her home in the hope that redemption somehow lies ahead for him. She’s doing so fully aware of the ridicule that will follow, not just from Clinton haters but from feminists, too, who view as anathema standing by any wayward man. One doesn’t often see that kind of strength today.

All I can say is I wish I were as good a Christian as Huma Abedin is a Muslim. Her mercy is to be admired.