The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalms 103:8-14 (NIV)
God’s compassion towards us moves His Hand. Likewise, our compassion towards others is to move us. When we seek to enter the mind or the feelings of someone else, we can empathize with them – sharing in their feelings of what it is like to be in their shoes yet we are not lost in it. We can perhaps feel the anguish (yet certainly not all of it) and yet we remain separate because we do not own it.
Compassion is always other focused – not self-focused. It is how we deal with the pain of others in a Christlike way. And, as Scripture tells us, those who claim to live in Him are to walk as Jesus did.
Compassion momentarily forgoes self for the sake of another. It is seeking to walk in their shoes - not focusing on our “all important” schedules or trying to make ourselves more efficient. It is allowing ourself to be interrupted by putting others first and by allowing ourselves to feel as they feel. We often want to sing songs to a broken heart rather than feel and weep with them, Amen? Loss is loss – whatever the loss is. Job’s friends were much better when the wept with him in silence rather than offering cold words that were comfortless.
We most likely cannot change the circumstances of the forlorn yet we most assuredly can weep with compassion with the suffering. We do not have to speak words, often our silent presence is the present, our tears their very consolation. An understanding heart is of great value to those who grieve.
Compassion is not a task, rather it is tenderness. It is walking as our Master did. It is having a mind filled with someone else. Remember as well, when suffering is severe and ever present, people do not often have “ears to hear”. Tears are the universal language of grief and are far better than words when relating to those in anguish. Most desire to simply rest their heads on the compassionate one’s shoulders, so to speak. Jesus’ example in Scripture is look and feel. Help comes later. We so often cannot change the circumstances of others but we can empathize with their pain – that’s compassion at work. Our love feels cold and shallow when we do not.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NIV)