Solution

Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

 - From Psalm 85

What's the big deal about mercy and truth meeting together? 

Is it supposed to be shocking, that righteousness and peace have kissed?

Aren't these all a bunch of nice-sounding concepts that belong in the same pile?

Not really. We need to let Scripture move us, and challenge us. And most verses will do that, if we let them.

Mercy and truth, together, is like saying Toby Keith is doing a joint album and tour with the Dixie Chicks. It's like going to a dinner hosted jointly by Lenin and Nicholas II. 

It's like Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton drafting a joint policy statement on consensus problem-solving in the US.

That's what it's like.

People that are merciful don't care about truth. As long as we're being nice to each other. As long as we do not offend anybody. But to do that, you have to fudge the details a little. It's like rules in charitable organizations today, that say you must provide assistance to teen unwed mothers, but you are not allowed to advise them as to how to change their behavior so that it doesn't happen again.

Righteousness and peace? It's hard to have a peaceful community when someone's out there being all judgmental and pushing their values on others. But that's what righteousness is: It's establishing rules of proper, unselfish behavior and then expecting others to follow them.

Somewhere in the blend of these concepts, comes Real Truth and Real Mercy. You really are not being merciful if you're not telling it like it is. And Real Peace is only attained when people are acting right. 

Our biggest problems can't be solved by one side of the aisle. We need the mix, the blend. The solution. (In chemistry, you make solutions by blending two different elements). The conflict that results when disparate parts come together, is a prerequisite to creativity. 

And creativity is awesome. Creative people feel great about themselves, and they feel great about others. 

The Creator knows how to be creative, and He knows how to make us creative. We should listen to Him.