What if drowning was a better death than what was waiting for them in town?
And then I'd think about the livelihood of the person who lost 2000 pigs. But if someone has 2000 pigs they've got to be wealthy. So, what if this wealthy person controlled that town? What if hitting him hard financially for a time eased up the pressure on the town folk?
Of course I don't know if any of this is even close to the truth, but I know that Father God is a merciful God and Jesus is just like Our Father. So there must be mercy in this story for more than just the demon-possessed man.
For God is like that. Our stories, our lives affect not just us. He sees how something in one person's life will affect her family, her church, her community and there's mercy there for those that need it.
Even in horrible situations God meets us where we're at. He never leaves us alone to deal with tragedy. But it doesn't have to be tragedy. It could be as simple as one spouse being grumpy and yelling at the other spouse for no reason. When something like that happens the natural human reaction is to yell back. But God will give mercy to both spouses to stop the anger, to not react but to respond in love.
In your dealings today look for God's mercy. When you find it grab hold it of it and share. You might just turn someone's life around with one small gesture or word.