Many times in our effort to love and show mercy in our city, we are actually enabling people to live slothful, drunken, drug abusing lives. We enable a dangerous and destructive lifestyle. Often our efforts of mercy in the city actually serve to strengthen the bondage of the ones we are trying to be merciful to. Feeding and giving money may seem to be merciful on the surface, but sometimes they are actually merciless. By ensuring regular meals and providing money we enable a continuation of an unhealthy and sometimes deadly lifestyle.
But that is not all.
When we make this lifestyle easy to maintain - 2 to 3 meals a day and money to purchase drugs and alcohol without the responsibility of work - we actually foster a system of living that draws others in. So, rather than eradicating problems, we multiply problems. Rather than seeing a decrease in 'homelessness' we see an increase. Rather than seeing fewer addicts, we see more. In the end, our mercy is often not merciful at all!
Some might argue that the gospel is all about unconditional love, and that our mercy in the city is simply an expression of that unconditional love. But I would ask - Does the gospel keep us in bondage or set us free from bondage? (How is your mercy setting people free from bondage?) Does the gospel enable us to continue in sin or call us to 'go and sin no more'? (Do you call people to change in your mercy ministry?) Does the gospel lead to death, or to life? (Often our attempts of mercy say, 'Here is food, and clothing, and money - go and continue in your addiction - continue in your abuse - continue on this road of destruction and death.')
So how then can we be truly merciful in our city?
1) Don't give blindly - take time to get to know the people you wish to be merciful to. They have a name and a story. They have perceived needs, but deeper rooted is their real need.
2) Give to agencies that are doing a good job of mercy ministry. In Macon that includes Loaves and Fishes, the Salvation Army, and the Rescue Mission. These agencies are working to not only feed and clothe, but to find jobs, provide short term and long term housing, connect needy people to addiction/recovery facilities, connect needy with government agencies for food and housing and medical treatment.
3) Volunteer your time to serve in these agencies
There are certainly many more ways to help - my hope is that we might consider how merciful our mercy ministries truly are!
Part 2: No Mercy FOR Our City
