Kingdom Life: Compassion & Service
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our inquiries under foot; you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. ~ Micah 7:18-19
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ~ Matthew 9:35-36
The purpose of life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. ~ Albert Schweitzer
True compassion means not only feeling another's pain, but also being moved to help relieve it. ~ Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence
Compassion is another word that we hear and say, but don't always know how to exactly define.
In some ways, it is another way of saying love. In others, it is pity or empathy. But just as generosity is not so simple, neither is compassion.
According to the Greater Good Science Center at Berkley, emotion researchers define compassion as both Albert Schweitzer and Daniel Coleman do: it is the feeling another's suffering and being motivated to try to alleviate that suffering.
Compassion literally means from its root word, "to suffer together." So while it might be a noun, compassion works as a verb.
Compassion is something we do. It isn't static. It flows through from one to another. It connects and binds through walking together through the Valley of the Shadow. It moves us to serve those who have need of hope.
It is the thing that Jesus most often demonstrated as part of the Kingdom of God. He saw pain and he walked beside the person suffering. He touched, healed, served, and loved.
Compassion is the movement of God's design for creation. It is what naturally flows out of loving community. Through it we are not alone when we are in pain. Through it we work to help bear the pain of others.
Prayer: Gracious God: Is there one to whom you are calling me to show compassion? Open my eyes and my heart to see and to serve. Amen.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ~ Matthew 9:35-36
The purpose of life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. ~ Albert Schweitzer
True compassion means not only feeling another's pain, but also being moved to help relieve it. ~ Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence
Compassion is another word that we hear and say, but don't always know how to exactly define.
In some ways, it is another way of saying love. In others, it is pity or empathy. But just as generosity is not so simple, neither is compassion.
According to the Greater Good Science Center at Berkley, emotion researchers define compassion as both Albert Schweitzer and Daniel Coleman do: it is the feeling another's suffering and being motivated to try to alleviate that suffering.
Compassion literally means from its root word, "to suffer together." So while it might be a noun, compassion works as a verb.
Compassion is something we do. It isn't static. It flows through from one to another. It connects and binds through walking together through the Valley of the Shadow. It moves us to serve those who have need of hope.
It is the thing that Jesus most often demonstrated as part of the Kingdom of God. He saw pain and he walked beside the person suffering. He touched, healed, served, and loved.
Compassion is the movement of God's design for creation. It is what naturally flows out of loving community. Through it we are not alone when we are in pain. Through it we work to help bear the pain of others.
Prayer: Gracious God: Is there one to whom you are calling me to show compassion? Open my eyes and my heart to see and to serve. Amen.