Pastor’s Reflection - Practicing Compassion

Jesus looked at the crowds coming to him with compassion. Compassion changed his plans for the day. Compassion led him in making plans. Does compassion hold that place in your life? I think I am a generally a compassionate person, but I don’t know that I let it guide my life the way Jesus did. I know for sure that I have times when my compassion is pushed to the side in anger and prejudice when someone says something against my sensibilities. With the culture of our society constantly telling us to put people into categories and divide ourselves into camps, it is very hard to remember that our calling is to love everyone and to look with eyes of compassion.

So how do we practice compassion in a way that leads us toward love? One thing we can do is remember that people are more complicated than the parts that they show us. Obviously, we know this, we know that we are complicated and multi- faceted, but it is very easy to forget in a conversation with another. Most often, we do not know the events of another’s life that would change their understandings. We do not know what information sources they have had in their lives. We do not know fully how their personalities and perceptions are different from ours. God made people so different. So, there must be something beautiful and valuable in the person that is different from us. This knowledge can help us humble ourselves and find out more about the person in front of us. They are much more than an opposing viewpoint.

We can also endeavor to remember that Jesus said they will know we are Christians by our love, not by how very right we are. The most important measure we have in our Christian walk is how well we love. To help us in that goal, approach people with curiosity and an underlying belief that this person has value. Their choices may be unwise in our estimation, their behaviors may be off-putting, but their value lies intrinsically. They are a child of God, just as each of us is. They are prone to make mistakes, just like each of us.

Practice compassion and practice love because the one that loved us first leads us in that path.

Peace,

Lisa