The church does kick out the poor, or the homeless, or the weak because they can’t provide as much for the community. Instead, the church cares for the poor, the homeless, and the weak, by utilizing the excess of resources among the wealthy to care for the poor. This is not only a witness of walking humbly with God, but it is a witness of doing justice, and together, this creates a more God-willed vision of community.

Humility is a willingness to put one’s own agenda on hold for the purpose of the agenda of another. Humility is the deliberate lack of action in anticipation of the advisement to action from another. With these Biblical definitions, everything we claim as right about American culture is definitively wrong by Biblical standards.

This call to love mercy is to be actively involved in extending mercy, to love as God loves in seeking the shalom, the peace and well-being, of the created humanity. This call to love mercy is to see the other as worthy of God’s mercy, just as God saw humanity – you and me – as worthy of such mercy.