Compassion

                Something has been stirring in my heart for the last several weeks, and I didn’t want to blog about it because it is one of those things that could be construed as controversial.  If you know me well, you know that I would rather crawl under a rock and die than be involved in any sort of conflict; however, if you’ve read any of my past entries, you will know that the Holy Spirit won’t leave a subject alone if He means for me to write about it.

                So let me pose a couple questions.  When did we as a people become so concerned about being right that we lost our compassion for sharing in others’ pain?  How can we turn a blind eye to suffering simply because we feel it is unjustified?  Whether right or wrong, God has called us to love people.  Period.  Loving them does not entail telling them why they are wrong for feeling the way that they feel.  When you are grieving, logic doesn’t apply.  Believe me.  I am working through that process right now, and you could give me 100 logical reasons why I should be ok with the way things turned out in my situation.  None of that matters to me.  What matters to me is that my heart is broken.  I have had scriptures quoted to me, prayers prayed for me, and many offers of people who will listen if I needed someone to talk to.  Do you know what actually brought me a measure of comfort?  The one woman who held me as I cried and cried with me.  I didn’t have to pretend with her that her words changed anything or that I suddenly felt less grief than I had because of her words or actions.  I didn’t have to put on my brave face and convince her that soon I would feel better.  I could just be a mom who lost one of the most precious things God has ever given me.

                As I was reflecting on that, the Lord gave me some revelation the other day that I thought was especially precious.  He brought to mind the story of Lazarus’s death.  Mary, his sister, was offended at the Lord because He had been sent for and didn’t come when Lazarus was sick.  She told Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32)  Jesus didn’t defend himself or justify his actions.  He had already revealed to Martha that He could raise him from the dead, but rather than getting angry with Mary for what she said in her grief, He wept with her.  The Bible says, “He groaned in his spirit and was troubled.” (John 11:33)  He already knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but He took the time to grieve with people who were hurting. 

                Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be a reflection of Jesus, and Jesus gave us a clear example of what to do when people are hurting.  He didn’t ask them to help Him understand why they were offended with Him.  He didn’t offer reasons why it wasn’t really His fault.  He simply had compassion for them and shared in their grief.  So why do we find it so difficult to lock arms with those who are hurting and let them know we hear them and that we care?

                Take a few moments and let the following words sink into your heart:

                [Love] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

Does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:5-8

Think about that: “Love NEVER fails.”  If we reflect love in our words and our actions, we can’t fail, but in order to be loving we can’t be so concerned about being right….self seeking. 

                Never forget that there is an adversary who has an agenda in this world.  Divisiveness, anger, prejudice, and every evil thing…they come from him.  The only way to overcome evil is with good and hate with love.  Yes, because we live in a fallen world there are going to be people who will hate you anyway.  Yes, there are going to be people who don’t respond to your compassion.  Open up your heart to that possibility because Jesus did it, and because it’s the right thing to do.  The time when people are grieving is not the time to be right.  Save that discussion for another day when the pain isn’t so raw that it’s all that they can think about. Just love people.  Be like Jesus.