Compassion

But the Israelites had compassion for Benjamin their kin.... Judges 21: 6a NRSV

I wonder if our compassion can either come too late or be misplaced.

For example, when the US sends in troops to a foreign country, have you ever considered why it takes us so long to consider the plight of the average human being who lives there?

Or perhaps you have wondered why do we glue ourselves to the television when one already famous child is supposedly stuck in a weather balloon while we ignore the thousands in a different part of the world that are dying in a natural disaster?

One major culprit is our media. Compassion is not a motivator of our media. We see this on the nightly news. However beloved your favorite newscastor is, you can see how schooled their faces are when they report tragedy. They can go from reporting awful tragedy to lighthearted events with very little change in their facial expressions.

Maybe high levels of exposure to tragedy numbs them from experiencing deep compassion.

What then can it do to us? If you are constantly bombarded with bad news in your community or family, will you lose your capacity to feel compassion or mercy on your fellow human beings? Can we lose our ability to feel compassion for one another in the church if they are continually hurting?

I think one thing that saves us is the Holy Spirit. It is through the power of the Spirit that we can hear and see the tragedy while at the same time be filled with the capacity for deep compassion.

Thank you, God, for your power given to us through the Holy Spirit. May we never lose the ability to feel compassion with the help of the Spirit. In Jesus' Holy name we pray. Amen.

Question of the day: What is tugging on your heart right now? In other words, where are you feeling compassion?

Copyright 2009 Amelia G. Sims