9-26

THE MEANING OF COMPASSION

MATTHEW 25:34-40  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 9/26/21

 

 

MANY YEARS AGO,  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ A SMALL BOY WHOSE PARENTS HAD DIED​​ 

LIVED WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER,

HIS ONLY REMAINING RELATIVE.

 

ONE NIGHT THEIR HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE.

THE GRANDMOTHER, TRYING TO RESCUE

THE LITTLE BOY ASLEEP UPSTAIRS,

PERISHED FROM SMOKE INHALATION.

 

A CROWD GATHERED AROUND THE BURNING HOUSE.

THE BOY’S CRIES FOR HELP WERE HEARD

ABOVE THE ROARING OF THE BLAZE.

 

NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO,​​ 

FOR THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE WAS A MASS OF FLAMES.

 

SUDDENLY A STRANGER RUSHED FROM THE CROWD

AND CIRCLED TO THE BACK​​ 

WHERE HE SPOTTED AN IRON PIPE

THAT REACHED AN UPSTAIRS WINDOW.

 

HE DISAPPEARED FOR A MINUTE,

THEN REAPPEARED WITH THE BOY IN HIS ARMS.

 

AMID THE CHEERS OF THE CROWD,

HE CLIMBED DOWN THE HOT PIPE

AS THE BOY HUNG AROUND HIS NECK.

WEEKS LATER A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD IN THE TOWN HALL

TO DETERMINE IN WHOSE CUSTODY THE BOY WOULD BE PLACED.

 

EACH PERSON WANTING TO CARE FOR THE YOUNG CHILD

WAS ALLOWED TO SPEAK BRIEFLY.

 

THE FIRST PERSON SAID, “I HAVE A BIG FARM.

EVERYBODY NEEDS THE OUT-OF-DOORS.”

 

THE SECOND PERSON TOLD OF THE ADVANTAGES

SHE COULD PROVIDE. ​​ “I AM A TEACHER. ​​ 

I HAVE A LARGE LIBRARY. ​​ HE WOULD GET A GOOD EDUCATION.”

 

OTHERS SPOKE. ​​ 

FINALLY THE RICHEST MAN IN THE COMMUNITY SAID,

“I’M WEALTHY. ​​ I COULD GIVE THE BOY​​ 

EVERYTHING MENTIONED TONIGHT:

FARM, EDUCATION, AND MORE, INCLUDING MONEY AND TRAVEL.

I’D LIKE HIM IN MY HOME.”

 

THE CHAIRMAN ASKED, “ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SAY A WORD?”

 

FROM THE VERY BACK ROSE A STRANGER​​ 

WHO HAD SLIPPED IN UNNOTICED.

 

AS HE WALKED TOWARD THE FRONT,

DEEP SUFFERING SHOWED ON HIS FACE.

 

REACHING THE FRONT OF THE ROOM,

HE STOOD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE LITTLE BOY.

SLOWLY THE STRANGER REMOVED HIS HANDS FROM HIS POCKETS.

 

A GASP WENT UP FROM THE CROWD.

THE LITTLE BOY, WHOSE EYES HAD BEEN FOCUSED​​ 

ON THE FLOOR UNTIL NOW, LOOKED UP.

 

THE MAN’S HANDS WERE TERRIBLY SCARRED.

 

SUDDENLY THE BOY UTTERED A CRY OF RECOGNITION.

HERE WAS THE MAN WHO HAD SAVED HIS LIFE.

 

HIS HANDS WERE SCARRED FROM CLIMBING UP AND DOWN

THE HOT PIPE.

 

WITH A LEAP THE BOY THREW HIMSELF​​ 

AROUND THE STRANGER’S NECK AND HELD ON FOR LIFE.

 

THE FARMER ROSE AND LEFT.

THE TEACHER, TOO.

THEN THE RICH MAN.

 

EVERYONE DEPARTED, LEAVING THE BOY AND HIS RESCUER

WHO HAD WON HIM WITHOUT A WORD.

 

THOSE MARRED HANDS SPOKE MORE EFFECTIVELY​​ 

THAN ANY WORDS.

 

COMPASSION​​ IS A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT WORD

IN THE GOSPELS.

 

THE STORIES TOLD ABOUT JESUS SPEAK OF HIM​​ 

AS​​ HAVING​​ COMPASSION

AND OF HIS BEING​​ MOVED​​ WITH​​ COMPASSION.

 

THE WORD ALSO REPRESENTS THE​​ SUMMATION​​ 

OF HIS TEACHING ABOUT BOTH GOD AND THE MORAL LIFE.

 

FOR JESUS, COMPASSION WAS THE​​ CENTRAL​​ QUALITY OF GOD

AND THE CENTRAL MORAL QUALITY OF A LIFE CENTERED IN GOD.

 

THESE TWO ASPECTS OF COMPASSION

ARE COMBINED MOST CLEARLY AND COMPACTLY​​ 

IN A SINGLE VERSE FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE:

 

BE​​ COMPASSIONATE AS GOD IS COMPASSIONATE.

(Luke 6:36)

 

THIS CRYSTALLIZATION OF JESUS' MESSAGE

SPEAKS OF A WAY OF LIFE​​ 

GROUNDED IN AN​​ IMITATIO DEI​​ -- AN​​ IMITATION​​ OF GOD.

 

IMAGE OF GOD AND THE MORAL LIFE --

WHAT​​ GOD​​ IS LIKE AND HOW​​ WE​​ ARE CHALLENGED TO​​ LIVE​​ --

ARE BROUGHT​​ TOGETHER.

 

MOREOVER, FOR JESUS COMPASSION​​ 

WAS NOT SIMPLY AN​​ INDIVIDUAL​​ VIRTUE,

BUT A​​ SOCIAL​​ AND​​ POLITICAL​​ PARADIGM

EXPRESSING HIS ALTERNATIVE VISION

OF HUMAN LIFE IN COMMUNITY.

 

IN THE HEBREW BIBLE,​​ 

WHICH CHRISTIANS TYPICALLY CALL THE OLD TESTAMENT

AND WHICH WAS SACRED SCRIPTURE FOR JESUS

AND HIS JEWISH CONTEMPORARIES,

THE WORD​​ COMPASSION​​ HAS RICH ASSOCIATIONS.

 

IN HEBREW, THE WORD USUALLY TRANSLATED AS "COMPASSION"

IS THE PLURAL OF A NOUN​​ 

THAT IN ITS SINGULAR FORM MEANS "WOMB."

 

IN THE HEBREW BIBLE,​​ COMPASSION​​ IS​​ BOTH​​ A​​ FEELING

AND A​​ WAY​​ OF​​ BEING​​ THAT FLOWS OUT OF THAT FEELING.

 

IN TERMS OF FEELING,​​ COMPASSION​​ MEANS "TO FEEL WITH,"

AS EVEN THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE ENGLISH WORD SUGGESTS:

 

PASSION​​ COMES FROM THE LATION WORD THAT MEANS "TO FEEL;"

AND THE PREFIX​​ COM​​ MEANS "WITH."

 

COMPASSION THUS MEANS FEELING THE FEELINGS​​ 

OF SOMEONE ELSE IN A​​ VISCERAL​​ WAY,

AT THE LEVEL OF THE​​ HEART​​ RATHER THAN THE LEVEL OF THE​​ HEAD.

 

MOST COMMONLY COMPASSION IS ASSOCIATED WITH

FEELING​​ THE SUFFERING OF SOMEONE ELSE

AND BEING MOVED BY THAT SUFFERING TO​​ DO​​ SOMETHING.

 

THAT IS, THE​​ FEELING​​ OF COMPASSION​​ 

LEADS TO​​ BEING​​ COMPASSIONATE.

 

QUITE OFTEN THE HEBREW WORDS​​ 

FOR​​ COMPASSION​​ AND​​ COMPASSIONATE

ARE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH AS​​ MERCY​​ AND​​ MERCIFUL.

 

BUT COMPASSION IS QUITE​​ DIFFERENT​​ FROM MERCY,

AND BEING COMPASSIONATE IS QUITE DIFFERENT

FROM BEING MERCIFUL.

 

IN ENGLISH​​ MERCY​​ AND​​ MERCIFUL​​ MOST COMMONLY IMPLY

A​​ SUPERIOR​​ IN RELATIONSHIP TO A​​ SUBORDINATE,

AND OFTEN IMPLIES A SITUATION OF WRONGDOING:

 

ONE IS MERCIFUL TOWARD SOMEBODY

TO WHOM ONE HAS THE RIGHT AND THE POWER​​ 

TO ACT OTHERWISE.

 

COMPASSION, ON THE OTHER HAND,​​ 

ASSUMES A RELATIONSHIP AMONG​​ EQUALS,

ONE OF WHOM IS ABLE TO FEEL THE SUFFERING OF THE OTHER

AND IS MOVED BY THIS FEELING TO DO SOMETHING​​ 

TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE SUFFERING OF THE OTHER.

 

COMPASSION AND AN OPEN HEART GO TOGETHER.

 

AND AN OPEN HEART AND​​ SEEING​​ GO TOGETHER.

 

WE SEE MORE CLEARLY WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE OPEN --

WE SEE THE PERSON RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACE,

WE SEE THE LANDSCAPE STRETCHED OUT BEFORE US.

 

WE MOVE FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT,

FROM NIGHT TO DAY, WHEN WE SEE

WITH THE EYES OF OUR HEART ENLIGHTENED WITH COMPASSION.

 

AN OPEN HEART IS ALIVE TO WONDER,

TO THE SHEER MARVEL OF "ISNESS."

 

IT IS REMARKABLE THAT THE WORLD IS,

THAT WE ARE HERE, THAT WE CAN EXPERIENCE IT.

 

THE WORLD IS NOT ORDINARY.

 

INDEED, WHAT IS REMARKABLE​​ 

IS THAT IT COULD EVER LOOK ORDINARY TO US.

 

AN OPEN HEART KNOWS RADICAL AMAZEMENT.

 

AN OPEN HEART AND GRATITUDE GO TOGETHER.

WE CAN FEEL THIS IN OUR BODIES.

 

AN OPEN HEART, COMPASSION, AND A PASSION FOR JUSTICE

GO TOGETHER.

 

AN OPEN HEART FEELS THE SUFFERING AND PAIN OF THE WORLD

AND RESPONDS TO IT.

 

AN OPEN HEART LEADS TO A NEW WAY OF LIVING.

 

WHAT IS THIS NEW LIFE LIKE?

 

IT IS ENORMOUSLY ATTRACTIVE.

 

IT IS THE LIFE OF RECONNECTION WITH GOD.

 

IT IS THE LIFE OF THE RETURNED PRODIGAL,

WELCOMED HOME FROM EXILE.

 

IT IS THE LIFE OF THE ELDER SON

WHO FINALLY DECIDES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARTY

THROWN FOR HIS YOUNGER BROTHER.

 

ST. PAUL SPEAKS OF THIS NEW LIFE "IN CHRIST"

IN THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TERMS.

 

IT IS MARKED BY FREEDOM, JOY, PEACE, AND LOVE,

FOUR OF HIS FAVORITE WORDS:

 

THE JOY OF THE EXUBERANT LIFE;

THE PEACE OF RECONNECTION TO WHAT IS,

THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING;

AND LOVE -- THE LOVE OF GOD​​ FOR​​ US

AND THE LOVE OF GOD​​ IN​​ US.

 

PAUL AND THE OTHER AUTHORS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

COINSISTENTLY SEE THESE QUALITIES​​ 

AS THE "FRUIT" OF THE SPIRIT, AS "GIFTS" OF THE SPIRIT.

 

THEY ARE THE FRUIT NOT OF HUMAN STRIVING,

BUT OF A NEW IDENTITY AND NEW WAY OF BEING --

THE FRUIT, THE PRODUCT, OF CENTERING ONE'S LIFE IN GOD,

IN THE SPIRIT.

 

PAUL'S MOST FAMOUS DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW LIFE

IS FOUND IN 1 CORINTHIANS 13,

OFTEN CALLED PAUL'S "HYMN TO LOVE."

PAUL BEGINS THIS HYMN BY WRITING:

"IF I SPEAK IN THE TONGUES OF MORTALS AND OF ANGELS,

BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE,

I AM A NOISY GONG OR A CLANGING CYMBAL.

 

AND IF I HAVE PROPHETIC POWERS,

AND UNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES AND ALL KNOWLEDGE,

AND IF I HAVE ALL FAITH, SO AS TO REMOVE MOUNTAINS,

BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I AM NOTHING.

IF I GIVE AWAY ALL MY POSSESSIONS,​​ 

BUT DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I GAIN NOTHING."

 

THIS AFFIRMATION SOUNDS AGAIN AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER

IN PAUL'S MEMORABLE TRIAD OF FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE.

HE WRITES:

 

"AND NOW FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE ABIDE, THESE THREE;

AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE."

 

FOR PAUL, LOVE IS THE PRIMARY GIFT OF GOD'S SPIRIT,

INDEED THE​​ DEFINITIVE​​ GIFT.

 

THE SAME IS TRUE FOR JESUS.

 

FOR JESUS, THE PRIMARY QUALITY OF A LIFE CENTERED IN GOD

IS COMPASSION.

 

AS WE HAVE SEEN, WHEN JESUS SUMS UP​​ 

THEOLOGY AND THE MORAL LIFE IN A FEW WORDS, HE SAYS:

"BE COMPASSIONATE AS GOD IS COMPASSIONATE."

 

WHERE PAUL USES THE WORD "LOVE,"

JESUS USES THE WORD "COMPASSION."

 

THUS​​ GROWTH​​ IN​​ LOVE,​​ GROWTH​​ IN​​ COMPASSION,

IS THE PRIMARY QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SPIRIT.

 

DR. RACHEL NAOMI REMEN DESCRIBES THE FOLLLOWING EXPERIENCE

IN HER BOOK​​ MY GRANDFATHER'S BLESSINGS:

 

"I SPENT A FEW WEEKS ONE APRIL

IN THE FOUR CORNERS AREA OF UTAH

IN A LITTLE TOWN CALLED BLUFF,

CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAY OF A FRIEND OF MINE.

 

ON EASTER MORNING WE ATTENDED​​ 

AN EPISCOPAL CHURCH SERVICE

CELEBRATED BY A NATIVE AMERICAN BISHOP.

 

WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MY FRIENDS AND MYSELF,

THE CONGREGATION WAS MOSTLY NAVAHO.

 

THE BISHOP WAS A MIDDLE-AGED MAN

OF GREAT PERSONAL INTEGRITY,

AND THE SERVICE WAS BEAUTIFUL.

 

DRESSED IN A WHITE ROBE​​ 

WITH A WOVEN SCARF OF NATIVE AMERICAN SYMBOLISM

AROUND HIS NECK,

HE SEEMED DEEPLY MOVED BY THE OCCASION

AND THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION.

 

MOST OF THE SERMON WAS IN NAVAHO,

THE BISHOP READING FROM THE BIBLE

IN A VOICE FILLED WITH EMOTION.

 

THEN HE GLANCED OVER TOWARD US.

WE HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD A WORD.

 

WITH A DEEP COURTESY HE BEGAN TO REPEAT THE SERMON

AND THE READING FOR US IN ENGLISH.

 

HIS ENGLISH WAS PERFECT,

BUT THE​​ PASSION​​ OF THE FIRST READING

WAS SIMPLY NOT THERE.

 

HE STRUGGLED ON,

TRYING TO MAKE THE ENGLISH WORDS TRANSPARENT

TO THE PROFOUND MEANING OF THE STORY.

 

FINALLY HE LOOKED UP AND,

ABANDONING HIS BIBLE,

SPOKE TO US FROM THE DEPTHS OF HIS HEART.

 

'THIS MAN JESUS,' HE SAID AND PAUSED.

 

'THIS MAN JESUS, HE​​ IS​​ GOOD MEDICINE.'"

 

DR. REMEN CONTINUES:

 

"THIS MOMENT CHANGED ME PROFOUNDLY.

 

FOR YEARS I HAD TRIED TO BE A GOOD DOCTOR

AND PRACTICE GOOD MEDICINE.

 

I HAD TAUGHT MANY OTHERS TO PRACTICE GOOD MEDICINE,

FIRST PEDIATRICS AND THEN MIND/BODY MEDICINE.

 

BUT THE BISHOP'S WORDS POINTED TO SOMETHING​​ MORE,

AND IN THE DEPTHS OF MY BEING​​ 

I RECOGNIZED WHAT THIS WAS.

 

PERHAPS WHAT IS NEEDED IS NOT ONLY TO​​ LEARN​​ 

GOOD MEDICINE, BUT TO​​ BECOME​​ GOOD MEDICINE.

 

AS A PARENT.

 

A FRIEND OR A DOCTOR.

 

SOMETIMES JUST BEING IN SOMEONE'S PRESENCE

IS STRONG MEDICINE."

 

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT COMMUNITY CHURCH

IS THAT WE HAVE A CHURCH​​ 

THAT IS COMPOSED OF CARING AND COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE,

PERSONS WHO​​ ARE​​ GOOD MEDICINE,

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SHOWING CARE AND COMPASSION

FOR THOSE WITHOUT HOMES.

 

THIS TELLS US SOMETHING VERY SIGNIFICANT ABOUT OURSELVES.

 

WE ARE A CHURCH THAT IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED

IN BEING THE HEART AND HANDS OF CHRIST SERVING OTHERS.

 

WE ARE A CHURCH LIVING OUT JESUS' CHALLENGE​​ 

TO FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THOSE IN NEED,

AND WELCOME THE STRANGER.

 

TO ECHO THE WORDS OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN BISHOP,

WE ARE A CHURCH THAT SIMPLY​​ IS​​ GOOD MEDICINE.

 

THANKS BE TO GOD!

 

AMEN.

 

Independent and United Church of Christ