Thank you for sharing with us what true compassion is, as demonstrated by our Lord, and how much He desires for us to do the same in the same way He did. It is indeed a fallen world, needing our show of compassion, not just our sympathy.
Why does it seem that the poor are important to God? If God’s mission is to save humanity by forgiving their sin and rebellion through Jesus Christ, why is there so much in the Bible about compassion and care of the poor, the broken, and those who live in the margins of society? Are they just ethical teachings and commands that should define society whenever possible, or is compassion fundamental to the Christian faith? Why is God so concerned about a broken world?
Theologian Jürgen Moltmann writes about the crucified God. He refers to Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s concept of the pathos of God. This pathos is not what he calls “irrational human emotions,” but he describes a God who is affected by events, human actions and suffering in history. Moltmann writes, “He is affected by them because he is interested in his creation, his people . . .” This pathos is contrasted with the apatheia of the gods that Judaism and early Christianity encountered in the religions of the ancient world. Apatheia was their inability to feel or be influenced. In most of the world’s religions, their gods are not only disengaged and lack any interest in humanity, but their deities are not known to understand suffering and therefore cannot relate to the problem of human suffering. For most people in our modern world, God remains capricious, distant and uncaring.
Compassion, which has its roots in the pathos of God, was what motivated Jesus in his ministry. The disciple Matthew having observed Jesus firsthand writes in 9:36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” When Jesus healed, it was because he was moved with compassion (Matt 20:34, Mark 1:41, 9:22) When he taught using parables, Jesus spoke about the compassion a father felt towards a rebellious son (Luke 15:20). The Greek word is splanchnizomai and literally means, “to be moved in the inward parts.” It connotes a strong physical and emotional reaction, “a gut-wrenching response.” Unfortunately, the word compassion has come to mean feeling sorry for someone or a mental attitude of pity at someone’s misfortune. The word splanchnizomai only occurs in the Gospels and is only used to describe Jesus’ reactions. Srilankan theologian Preman Niles writes, “It is used . . . to describe the attitude of Jesus to people defined as the (multitudes) and the action that ensues from that attitude . . .”
The pathos of God is not just a sense of sadness or an intellectual acknowledgement that there is something wrong with the world that he created. For Jesus it was a gut-wrenching reaction as he saw the “lostness” of people, the poor who were victims of injustice, those with crippling diseases and illness, the premature death of the young, and the abuse of the human beings he had created. Compassion is a divine attribute fundamental to God’s nature. It defines him.
It is this compassion of God that motivates Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) whether they respond to the needs of widows, orphans and vulnerable children; are involved in ministries of reconciliation and peacebuilding in Rwanda and the Congo; respond to the needs of refugees and internally displaced in Lebanon, Syria and Myanmar; seek to improve the quality of life through agriculture and livelihood programs and water projects; or respond during times of disaster. These are not just demonstrations of human compassion, but most of the time, each of these programs and responses are through a local church or a community of Christ followers who not only provide for people’s physical and psychological needs but demonstrate the love of Christ in their attitudes and the way they serve. Where appropriate, they share about the living God who is revealed in Jesus Christ, without any manipulation or conditionality attached to the help they provide.
Timothy Laniak, formerly at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, writes that God has a stake in how humans are treated, because human beings everywhere bear His image and likeness. One of the things that ministries of compassion, like those of CBM, do is that they help restore an individual’s God given dignity. As a result of this, they are able to live out the purposes of God and experience his blessings.
“The missio Dei, in which the church participates, is not just about helping the poor but about following Christ and discovering that those whom one is called to serve also have something to give.” (Fr. Daniel Groody, missiologist)
Pause and Reflect
- In Colossians, the Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of clothing to describe the notion of “putting on compassion, kindness, humility, etc.” In what ways does image help shape our calling to compassion?
- Das introduces us to Moltmann’s notion of the pathos of God (“affected by events, human actions, and suffering in history”). Can you think of a time in your recent past when you were particularly mindful of God’s compassion as part of his very nature, or pathos?
- As partners with CBM in helping heal a broken world, where are the places in your neighbourhood where you / your church / small group can reach out in love and compassion? How can you begin (if you haven’t already started)?
Share your Reflection
Submit your own thoughts as we Reflect Light on our past and explore all the possibilities of our future as Christ leads us.