Mercy

I've previously had a hard time figuring out the place of mercy ministry in evangelism.  I always leaned more towards the actual act of sharing the gospel being more important than taking part in mercy ministry.  Though I still have a lot more to learn about the place of mercy ministry, I've realized a few reasons as to why Christians need to participate in mercy ministry:

• Oftentimes we need to meet people's felt needs before they will be more receptive to delving into their core needs, including their need to draw near to Christ.  Felt needs are "the door to core needs."  While sharing the gospel is the most important in terms of eternal significance, that does not necessarily mean that it must always come first. 
• We perform good deeds to show how the results of sin can be transformed by the gospel.  Sin brought alienation from ourselves, from others, and from God.  As we transcend this alienation, we move towards the world God originally created.
• If people have limited exposure or conception of even what conditional love is, then seeking to understand what God's unconditional love is downright impossible.  When we love others through acts of mercy, it provides them with a tangible glimpse into what God's love is like.

[A lot of these thoughts developed as I worked through a Bible study based on Timothy Keller's Ministries of Mercy:  The Call of the Jericho Road.]