Let me elaborate a little further. It is tough being single. Like many other single Christians my age, I’ve loved and lost a few times, and that’s a few times too many. I’ve felt lonliness like no man should ever feel, and I’ve cried myself to sleep more than once because of said lonliness. There’s no guaranetee that I will ever find the right woman. There’s no guarantee that I’ll become a father. I may very well die alone. With no wife, no kids, and maybe no one at my funeral. Well, misery loves company, but even more so – what better people to hang out with, than those who deal with the same, for lack of a better word, issues. And I say for lack of a better word because some people don’t really see being single as being an issue, problem, or any other type of negativity. Some people see singlehood as just the life they lead. I’m not sure if I’m one of those people, but I certiainly would rather be single than married to the wrong person. But I digress.

My point is this: Singles groups should never be about introducing the single men and women to eachother. Singles group should be about a community of people who have the same life circumstance – ie the fact that they are single. Singles groups should focus on the issues that come with a single’s life, like Men’s groups or woman’s groups or family groups or any other groups. Singlehood is NOT a disease, its just the way some of us happen to be. And while some of us may eventually find ourselves in a different circumstance, some of us will indeed be single for the rest of our lives. Knock on wood that I’m in the former group and not the latter, but if I am in the latter group, I want to be surrounded by the people who can offer me the support and help I need, just as I give them the support and help they need.

Maybe its just a matter of semantics, but maybe not. Consider the following: Mercy implies lenience and compassion. Justice, however, implies retribution not based on compassion, but rather based on what is fair – what is just.  Mercy is not fair – in fact, mercy is often times the exact opposite of fair.  Justice never gives what one does not deserve, and always gives what one does deserve.  Mercy will give one what they don’t deserve (perhaps food that they did not grow), and will withhold things that they do deserve (perhaps a severe and harsh punishment).

Now, some might say that if we’re giving food to those who do not deserve it, and withholding punishment from those who deserve punishment, then we are not in the right. While I believe that one who refuses to work should probably not eat, there is also the fact that some people cannot work. Some people cannot contribute to society. Justice would say that it is not fair to the rest of society that these people should eat of the labors of others. But might I remind you: An empty sack cannot stand. Truth be told, we might feed these people all their lives – they may never be able to “stand.” However, the position of mercy is not to say “we’ve fed these people enough.” The position of mercy is to hope they might be able to stand eventually, but also to understand some people will never be able to fulfill their own needs.

Ultimately, justice is about the law. Mercy is about love.  Both Jesus and Paul repeatedly stated that our actions should always be about love.  Justice, while a good thing in many cases, falls short of love in many other cases. And while most people who are concerned with social justice are doing so out of love, it is still a slippery slope. Where is the line between love and a quest to fight for our rights (as well as the rights of others)? If anything, perhaps using the term “Social Mercy” is about reminding ourselves that we are driven by the compassion of Christ; we are driven by the Love of God.