October 7, 2009
"The Virtue of True Compassion"
Dear Friend,
The gospels consistently express Christ’s compassion for people. His compassion was not an expression of…
- His agreement with their religious ideas
- His approval of all their behaviors
- His appreciation of their attitude toward Him
His compassion expressed His acceptance of…
- the humanity of people
- the emotional needs of people
- His willingness to share in the feeling of their need
From Christ we can learn to avoid the traps of sentimentality and codependency. And we can also learn the divisiveness of self-righteousness and irritability. And perhaps most importantly, we can learn the power of emotional connection. Christ felt compassion because He connected with the people in their need.
Everyone needs compassion. So if we intend to be a force for good in the world, we will feel inclined to learn both the power and the wonder of showing compassion to people God brings into our lives.
May our compassionate God grow your soul to be like Him in the virtue of true compassion.
Doc
Dr. Dave Collings
Lead Pastor
Christ Church
