Thoughts for the Day

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
and his compassion is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
and tell of your power,
to make known to all people your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
and gracious in all his deeds.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Psalm 145 says that the Lord has compassion for all that He has made. But what is 'Compassion', and secondly how does the Bible define compassion? Various dictionaries define it as 'Showing sympathy; having a disposition to pity; merciful'. Well we're getting there, but it doesn't quite seem sufficient.

One of the important factors about compassion is that the person showing it recognises that others are suffering, and because of this they do something to help them. A person showing compassion is really showing their love for that person who may be suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy, for empathy understands that someone is in distress, but they don't necessarily do anything about it.

The Bible doesn't give us a dictionary definition, rather it shows us what compassion is. Years after Psalm 145 was written we see Jesus acting compassionately to the blind and the lame by healing them; and his parables teach us how to be act compassionately towards others as in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

God's compassion meant he acted by sending His Son, Jesus, to show His loving care for us.

Father God,
You taught us that You love
all that You have created,
and You show us Your compassion
each and every day.
May we not take for granted
Your care for us,
and may we learn
how to be compassionate to others.
Amen.