Real mercy means we have to give up our need to fix people. We have to release our desire to control outcomes. We have to let go of our insistence that people earn our compassion by demonstrating they deserve it. We just have to show up, extend grace, and stay engaged even when it's hard.

Biblical justice isn't primarily about punishment. It's about making things right. It's about standing up for people who have been pushed down, speaking up for people who've been silenced, and including people who have been left out.

God isn't interested in separating our Sunday morning behavior from our Monday through Saturday behavior. God isn't impressed when we perform spiritually on Sunday and then ignore injustice, withhold mercy, and operate in arrogance the rest of the week. God wants integration, not compartmentalization. God wants our whole lives, not just our religious activities.

We naturally assume that these religious activities must be what God requires from us. We assume that if we're going to church, reading our Bibles, praying, and giving, we're doing what God wants. But what if we're wrong?

What does God require from us as Christians? Most of us would say going to church, reading the Bible, praying, and giving. We think being a good Christian is primarily about religious activities.