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| Photo Credit: Susana Fernandez |
I have no compassion for she who tries to find happiness by buying bigger and better things.
I have no tolerance for he who won’t work but expects handouts.
I have no empathy for she who continues to make poor choices and then complains about the results.
I have no sensitivity for a “woe is me” attitude from he who wallows in self-pity.
I have no mercy for she who travels on extravagant vacations, yet complains she can’t afford activities for her children.
I have no pity for a man who complains of a strained relationship with his son, yet sits the kid in front of the TV every time they’re together.
Jesus says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
It’s simple to love the poor.
It’s simple to find compassion for those who’ve lost jobs with dwindling funds.
It’s simple to help single parents doing the work of two every day.
It’s simple to love the sick and frail.
It’s simple to sit with the elderly when they’re lonely.
It’s simple to stand with those being persecuted.
Basically, it’s easy for me to show the love of Jesus to those whom I think deserve it.
Damn it.
Jesus, couldn’t you have made the “love each other” thing a request instead of a command? How do I let go of the anger I feel toward the self-righteous, the self-pitied, the self-absorbed?
I’ve been fighting for years to find the nature of a servant, yet I still can’t grasp unconditional compassion for most of those around me.
I see the irony. I need compassion most when I’m
self-righteous
self-pitied
self-absorbed
Instead of wrapping myself in rage, I wish I were compelled to pray these words in Psalm 9:
The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
It’s either pray or move alone to Antarctica so no one bothers me again.
It could happen.
I've thought about this all day. Literally, It touched me this morning in a big way, I composed a well thought voice to text response while I was at the gym but couldn't type my password. I'll try again because I can't stop thinking about how hard you are on yourself. Don't lose sight of the commandment of loving ourselves as we love others. Did you see what I did there? I've had to flip it around because the person I have the most judgement of and the least compassion for is myself. I'm doing a webinar series exploring "heart breathing" and opening our hearts, learning our own unique words for "love" your blog post pointed the way to another one I need to include: compassion. And as far as the jerks you mentioned: don't forget Jesus became angry and cleared the temple of money changers. I can't imagine how frightened his disciples and entourage were when that happened. But I bet Jesus isn't yelling at you now. I imagine he is nodding in agreement.
Laura, thank you, really. I love that you flipped around the commandment. I have been hard on myself lately – mainly because I'm just consumed in anger with the above mentioned people. I can't wait to hear more about your webinar! It sounds like I could benefit.