If I were to ask you to describe an act of ‘compassion’, what words would you use?

Would you try to describe the actions of a compassionate individual or would you give definitions of the word itself?

I recently read a devotional describing a high-ranking military officer who lost two sons…one in the service to this country and another to suicide. It related how after these two devastating losses, he and his wife dedicated their lives to offering help in coping with loss, stress, and pain.

Often it does take a painful episode in our lives for us to begin to relate to the pain and suffering of another individual.

And as we ourselves suffer from illness, pain, and loss, we become a little more attuned to what other individuals feel.

The article I read about the military man went on to speak of the compassion of Barnabas. It related that his original name was changed to Barnabas because it meant ‘son of encouragement.”

It further stated that it was Barnabas who vouched for Saul from Tarsus and convinced others that Saul had met the Christ and was now a new and changed individual. He also was the one who asked that John Mark be offered a second chance even though John Mark had failed in a previous missionary trip.

I looked into my crossword dictionary searching for words meaning compassion.

It listed the following words: pity, grace, heart, mercy, empathy and tenderness. Still another book listed additional words such as: “humanity, sympathy, condolence, and commiseration.”

It spoke of being compassionate as “gentle, humane, warmhearted, and sympathetic.”

Often while watching the evening news reports, I find myself wondering if ‘compassion’ is fading away. But, in the light of all the recent terrible storms and the loss of people’s homes, employment, possessions and sometimes lives, it seems as though there is a response from others that definitely exhibits compassion.

I’ve seen folks picking up debris, patching roofs, bringing food and supplies and serving and helping in many ways. That is compassion at work.

It seems in recent months with the earthquakes, tsumanis, tornados, floods, and other catastrophic events, that many innocent people have had their lives changed drastically. Add to the losses I’ve already listed, there is the pain and loss caused by the tragic circumstances from war, revolutions, and unrest. The world as we know it seems very unsettled and full of pain.

Perhaps that is why the royal wedding garnered such a wide audience. For that time at least, people were focused on something beautiful and not on the anguish so many around the world are living with daily.

So we are back to the word compassion, aren’t we? We need to ask ourselves if we are living our lives for ‘self’ only or are we living lives reflecting our compassion for those who are so less fortunate.

Recently we had two gentlemen speak at church. They are from a group called “Misfits for Jesus”. They offer food to the homeless in St.Louis.

How often do we find ourselves thinking of those who don’t have food or a place to stay? Are we always behaving in a judgmental way and wondering how they got into such a predicament or are we seeing another human being in need?

I’ll admit that I often feel overwhelmed with the constant barrage of mail asking for help for all kinds of worthy causes. We can’t answer each and every request, but we can choose to share of our plenty with those who need help.

There are those who do feed the hungry, house the homeless, help folks when disaster strikes, are working in research to find cures for diseases that take lives and cause suffering. Most of us won’t be able to do the actual work, but we can pick and choose to help in ways we can.

To turn our backs on those in need is not what our God would have us do. Do you remember the Biblical text that says, “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes. When I was sick, you took care of me and when I was in jail, you visited me.”

Do you remember the question that followed? “When did we do this?” Those aren’t the exact words, but that was the question raised. And the answer, “Whenever you did it for my people, you did it for me.”

So, having said all of that I think we are beginning to realize the true meaning of ‘compassion’.

The article I read about the military man, concluded with the following words and I can’t think of a better ending for this piece.

“True compassion is love in action.”