Even-handedness is not a virtue in the face of injustice. Treating both sides equally when responsibility, power or suffering are unequal is not fairness; it can simply legitimise the status quo. Mercy requires us to recognise those inequalities and respond accordingly, rather than pretending that every dispute has two equally valid sides. It does not require us to suspend judgement, give equal weight to unequal claims or remain neutral when one party is harming another. Sometimes justice and mercy demand that we take sides, not out of prejudice or tribal loyalty, but out of love for those who are suffering and a commitment to what is right.
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