During the time of Jesus’ life on earth, compassion was linked with deep feeling to one’s bowels. Unlike the heart for us today, it was considered then to be the place where the physical experience of love, sympathy, and pity resided. Compassion requires us to willfully enter into the heartache and pain of the human experience to bring companionship and comfort. As Christians who become foster parents compassion is often a large part of what drew us to this work, and the daily grind of this life requires it from us daily which can become difficult.
Not only do we see compassion modeled by Jesus in the Gospels, but we also find our compassion towards others commanded in Colossians where Paul says, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”
Henri Nouwen captured the heart of compassion when he said, “Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.” The reality of being able to faithfully engage compassionately with others is a task that is impossible in our own strength. Many engaged in different types of callings requiring prolonged emotional engagement find themselves compassion fatigued, becoming instead indifferent or even harsh.
If we reflect on Jesus’ compassion we see his constant ministry teaching, preaching, healing, discipling and more. Even when he withdrew with his disciples to rest they were met by a crowd seeking him. He didn’t become irritable, sending them away in frustration, but rather, Matthew 9:36 says, “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.” How thankful I am to have a Savior who I don’t have to worry whether he will understand or if it’s a good time to come to him.
PRAYER:
My compassionate God, thank you that you not just see my heartaches and pain but that you chose to enter into them and are with me. Thank you Jesus that you are not unable to sympathize with my weakness. Help me embody your compassion towards the children you have put in my care: the same compassion you have shown me. Do not allow me to grow wearing in doing good. When it is inconvenient, when I am tired, when I do not understand and am frustrated create in me a heart that responds in love, kindness, meekness, humility, and understanding. Shape me to be more and more like my savior who has show me ultimate compassion. Help my children see your heart through your work in me.