The Challenge Of Mercy

I've read many articles recently describing how church attendance across denominations is declining, at least in the USA. I wonder if part of the reason is that many people who are broken and marginalized just don't feel welcomed in many churches today. That would be a shame because those are the exact people Jesus reached out to. They were ostracized by society, and by the religious people of His time. The tax collectors, lepers, divorced, prostitutes, destitute, even those under domination of wicked spirits and demonic forces, all found Jesus to be welcoming and were the recipients of His message of grace and mercy.  He didn't excuse their sins, but set them free by forgiveness and the challenge to "go and sin no more." Many didn't need that word of encouragement because after their encounter with Jesus they willingly let go of their sin to lay hold of that which is much truer and freeing.  They found true fulfillment.  Jesus exemplified holiness, purity, in combination with love and compassion. 
Perhaps people today perceive the church as to judgmental and sometimes hypocritical. That is, we talk a great talk, but the lives of many who claim fidelity to Jesus are not very different from those to whom we speak our message. Most people today know what the church in America is against. Perhaps they think that if they come to a service they may not be welcomed because they are engaged in those things we so loudly condemn. Although the church today is engaged in many good works and outreaches to those in need, many times we are portrayed as complainers, those who condemn others, and not very welcoming.
We can never excuse sin, or tolerate sinful behavior. Our challenge is to not condemn or turn away those for whom Christ also died. He forgives His people of great sins, and the same mercy He has shown to us He longs to show to others.
We don't want to be like the  "elder brother" in the parable of the prodigal son. The younger brother was forgiven, in spite of his sinful lifestyle because he repented after he realized the wrongness of his way. The elder brother however, was filled with criticism, legalism, self righteousness, and stubbornly refused to be gracious to his broken brother, or his merciful father. The broken one was restored,  the self righteous one refused to enter the celebration feast. May God help us to rise to the challenge. We can be strong for holiness, and speak against the hurtful ways of sin, but we can also combine love, mercy and the compassion that Jesus exemplified in His time on Earth. He shows the same mercy to all of us each day, therefore we can do likewise to those around us.