In case you missed it, our world is kind of screwed up. Anyone with an Internet connection has access to essentially limitless stories that prove our fallen state. Reading hateful comments of news articles online, I couldn’t help but think, “Where’s our compassion at?”
For me, the first step at answering that question was a quick word study of compassion (which is a fancy way of saying I typed “compassion” into Google.) Below is my inner monologue, as documented in my journal:
Google defines compassion as “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.”
This doesn’t cut it for me. Sympathy and concern are doing nothing to help anyone.
Webster had the definition listed as “sympathetic consciousness of other’s distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”
Ok, I’m liking that more, There’s at least a hint of action involved.
A quick scroll back to the top of my search results and a click to expand the Google result brought me to the origin of the word; it’s Old French for “suffer with.”
Now this is good stuff. I like that much better–a dirty, involved word like “suffer” instead of clean, distant words like “sympathy” or “consciousness.”
Compassion is being willing to suffer. Compassion isn’t cute or Instagram-worthy. It’s hard for compassion to leave you with the warm feeling of having helped someone, because of the hurt it embodies. But it’s beautiful. It’s stepping into someone’s life and communicating that they are worthy to have their pain shared with and felt by others. Compassion is painful and dirty, but that’s why it matters.
This participation in someone else’s pain and an appropriate response to it is essential to the Christian life. In Galatians 6:2, Paul instructs us to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When the Christ-follower is following this command and intentionally bearing other’s burdens, they need to engage the problems found in our society with compassion. But what does compassion actually look like in practice?
Compassion doesn’t look like commenting hateful words online (Ephesians 4:15).
Compassion doesn’t look like distancing yourself from someone or minimizing their suffering because of some wrong you think they have committed (Mark 2:15-17).
Compassion doesn’t look like pitting people against each other just because peacemaking would be more difficult (Romans 12:18).
Jesus wouldn’t condone any of that.
Compassion looks like listening to people who are different than you to better understand their heart before judging a situation (Proverbs 18:15).
Compassion looks like grieving with grieving families and communities (Romans 12:15).
Compassion looks like understanding other’s feelings enough to think before speaking and to then speak only words full of grace (James 1:26).
Jesus himself lived compassion out in these (and many other) ways.
Compassion is crucial. As representatives of Christ, we need to set an example of compassion for the rest of the world by interacting compassionately in every situation.
But how can we go about increasing our compassion? I thought up three relatively simple ways (and I’m willing to bet there’s more ways could find over time).
- Engage
Be intentional about spending time in dialogue with people whose burdens you can bear. Read the lengthy Facebook posts, watch the news clips, and start real conversations with friends (or strangers) over coffee or gelato or anything worth eating. Keep engaging with people, humbling yourself, until you know their story well enough to really suffer through it with them. - Act
Think of ways you can help. Then do them. They don’t have to be huge. I’m not expecting any of us to change the world (although I’m not saying we can’t, either.) But you can at least change a hurting person’s day around. You can supply hope, and love, and grace. Be intentional. Be diligent. Be Jesus to those around you. - Pray
Ask the God who created all of us to give you a heart that breaks for His people. Pray over and over again, for weeks or months or years. Never stop. Pray when you’re home alone considering situations. Pray in the middle of conversations, when you’re in the depths of the pain. Just pray. And then wait expectantly for God to work in your heart.
Let’s humble ourselves and grow in compassion. Let’s engage, act, pray and encourage our friends to do the same.
