And now that middas hadin is prominent all over the world, and there is no natural way to save oneself from the troubles that come each day, we need to strengthen ourselves in chessed, so that the chessed from Above will be aroused.... Chazal teach that Hashem says, “If human beings, who need chessed themselves, do chessed with each other, then how much more do I, Whose essence is chessed and mercy, need to do chessed with those whom I created.’
(Ahavas Chessed, part 2 ch. 5)