I was always taught to use the right tool for the job. Now, that doesn’t mean that my dad, who was a contractor for much of his life, was above using the backside of a big old wrench to knock down a nail that was sticking up. But it does mean that I rarely force a flat bladed screwdriver into a phillips head screw.

So when I see Christians wielding “righteous indignation” at the sins of their neighbors, I cringe. There are certainly times when righteous indignation will serve the cause of Christ’s Kingdom, and we don’t have to look very far to see those opportunities. Racial inequalities still prevail in the workplace and neighborhoods of our communities. Well-qualified women often collect a far smaller salary than less-qualified men in comparable positions. The working-poor are often cheated out of their wages by less-than-scrupulous employers who do not fear retribution from the authorities, frequently too busy to pursue the case.

Each of these situations, and dozens more, demand our voices and our influence. Christians who have the capability to make a difference, quite simply, should. I preach the need for well-rounded discipleship, more than just showing up for worship. Every disciple needs a justice issue.

But, to the original point, a neighbor’s sin is very often not a justice issue.

How does this work? Let’s try some sample cases.

I’ll provide a brief overview and you decide what approach you should use as a Christian.

Theft from the Boss

Our first one seems simple enough.

A man goes to work every day and takes money from the cash register and covers the shortage by eliminating sales records. He uses the money to pay gambling debts. He cannot stop betting.

Is this a justice issue or a compassion issue?

My friends, it is both. But I will tell you this: You will never get a chance to get to both if you begin with a “justice issue” response.

Sure, he might get mandatory Recovery Treatment as part of his sentence if you take this up as a justice issue. But you will have walked past a chance to reach out in Christian love to be a part of the solution. Jesus didn’t ask us to be vigilant citizens above all. He asked us to love above all.

If you reach out to him in love, offer to get him some help, and stand by him, there is a better than average chance that you’ll be standing with him when he returns the money and turns himself in.

“Proper”(ty) Values

This next one comes from the headlines. 

A young woman is born with cerebral palsy. Her family builds a ramp in a neighborhood without Homeowners’ Guidelines or Neighborhood Standards. But neighbors realize that this might affect property values and pursue a lawsuit.

Is this a justice issue or a compassion issue?

Again, it is both. But this time, we should show compassion to the family who has built the ramp and raise our voices to protest the selfishness of the neighbors bringing suit. If you’re having trouble with the answer to this one, contact me at your earliest convenience.

Living in Sin

One of my favorites took place in a little country church.

A man and a woman are living together. They aren’t sure if they want to get married because they come from broken homes. Attending a little Methodist church, they make friends with the pastor and some of the members. When the word gets out that they aren’t married, the congregation responds.

If you said, “Run ’em out of town on a rail,” then you should get in touch with me at your earliest convenience. The right response came from a small, conservative congregation in West Tennessee. They reached out in love and compassion, sharing stories of family members who overcame marital strife, offering assistance with the couple’s small children, and waiting patiently for them to make their decision. When the wedding was announced, it became a church-wide event — as it always should be.

I can hear a couple of you saying, “But where’s the justice!? I wanted to hear God’s righteous wrath and some hellfire and brimstone preaching!” Here’s my response: “Tough darts.”

God calls for justice for the oppressed. God calls for compassion for the sinner. Instead, the Church seems bent on ignoring the oppressors and focusing on the sinners. And, to make matters worse, we grab the wrong tool from our discipleship toolbox and whack the sinners with our best justice approach. “You sinner. What you’re doing is wrong. You’ll burn in Hell for that.”

God doesn’t want that. God puts that punishment away and keeps it for those who defiantly seek their own means in spite of God’s offer of compassion.

1 Timothy 2:3-4

New Century Version (NCV)

In other words, if you aren’t offering a second chance before you offer condemnation, then you are defying God’s will. And that’s a problem.

We Become the Problem

Christians are being seen as agents of harm. And you don’t even have to start with Westboro Baptist. When you make every sin a justice issue, then you become an agent of punishment instead of an agent of God’s compassion. When you fail to offer love and assistance, you become a part of a systematic oppression of a class of people. You may call them sinners, degenerates, and all sorts of other foul names.

But God calls them “Beloved.” And he sent his Son to die for them. So stop being mean to them.

Churches across the country have stood by and watched biker gangs take on Westboro as a justice issue. When you are seen as an oppressor rather than a compassionate friend, you are doing it wrong.

When you are seen as an agent of systematic abuse, then you’re part of a bigger problem.

But that problem can be overcome. It can be overcome with compassion.

Compassion First

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t have time for these moral and ethical quandaries.” And you might be right. You might just be important enough in the greater scheme of things that this heady philosophical stuff is simply beneath you.

It ain’t likely, but it could happen.

In that unlikely event, here’s your solution, Christ-follower: Choose compassion.

When given the opportunity to rail against the issues of the day or the opportunity to hold the hand of the oppressed, choose compassion. When you see a system driving people to the brink of bankruptcy and beyond, save the political statement and offer to help the impoverished family.

You can teach a man to fish and save yourself some work, but if you first give the man a fish, he might be able to hear your instructions once his stomach has stopped growling.

If you confront your friend with his hand in the till and hug him before you say anything else, he might be able to admit he has a problem because he now knows that someone is able to care about him despite his shortcomings.

The First Best Option

When in doubt, show compassion. What would you prefer someone do for you? Throw the book at you and then tell you it was for your own good? No. I think we can all say that we would rather see an act of kindness that opens a door to redemption.

So when you find yourself reaching in the Toolbox of Discipleship for the right implement for ministry, be sure you’ve put compassion on the very top. Sure, there are plenty of times for justice issues to be raised and that needs to be in there, too. But if you are just figuring this out for the first time, or you are revisiting your methods after realizing that you’ve alienated far more people than you’ve invited to follow Christ, then these words are for you.

No matter who you are, never forget that Christ saved his harshest words for the most religious people of his time, the rule-keepers and the law-studiers. And his compassion poured out over the sinners, with whom he ate and lived and loved.

Choose compassion, and go from there.

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