Empathy Open Hearts to Compassion

Having the ability to be empathetic opens our hearts to compassion. We live richer lives when we are able to be outward looking and recognise and respond to the strengths and needs in others around us. Our brains and the world light up as we extend kindness to people. When we have empathy, we and the world slow down. There is space and time to make a difference. When we have compassion, we walk with and look for ways to share hope and possibility. In doing so, we enhance our relationships, develop better perspective and resilience, improve our physical health and wellbeing, and have greater levels of happiness through strengthening our sense of purpose. Having empathy and compassion allows us to let go of hurts and disappointments and forgive and restore relationships.

We are called to show compassion when it is least convenient and not just to those who are like us or are in our immediate circle. There are many stories in the Bible where Jesus showed compassion to individuals and to groups at times that were difficult and to people considered in His time to be outcasts or undesirable. We can think of where Jesus had gone off to be by himself and found himself being followed by thousands. Instead of sending them away to meet His need, He fed them. There is another story where an unclean woman went against the laws and customs of her day and touched Jesus as He walked. Rather than following the custom of His day and admonishing her and sending her away, He blessed and healed her.  As Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves asked for forgiveness. There are a multitude of very human responses Jesus could have made, but instead He not only forgave the thief but promised him that he would be with Him in paradise.  Within these stories there is clear modelling of how Jesus would like us to respond with love and compassion towards our neighbour. The great news is that Jesus will always respond with compassion to us, even at our worst and when we feel the least important. Our response is to take up the challenge to be counter cultural and extend the same compassion to those we encounter.