Mercy & Justice

Mercy without justice is a bottomless pit, but justice without mercy is cold. [Judy Graves]

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. [Micah 6:8]

This past weekend, I attended an event titled “I was hungry and you gave me food” at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver.  Judy Graves, a housing advocate for the City of Vancouver, addressed a group of volunteers with different food programs, many from local Anglican Churches.  Judy spoke about how Vancouver has several areas that are essentially food deserts, and how many also experience a desert of human companionship.  She reflected on Micah 6:8, and about how any success she realizes as she advocates for the most hard-to-house in Vancouver comes from walking humbly with God.  Judy sees her role, and the Church’s role, as sometimes providing mercy, in the form of hot chocolate and a friendly conversation (which really just takes cocktail party skills, as she says), and sometimes fighting for justice with and for our most vulnerable neighbours.  The Church, as a connected body, is valuable, as it is not always the same person or same congregation that can provide both justice and mercy, but together, we share our resources and our skills, and do what the Lord requires of us.