Week 4 Recap: Compassion

We've already read some interesting reflections from members of the Calvin LCI community on Chaplain Steve's talk on compassion last Monday night. His definition, one that focused on really seeing others through God's perspective, led to some interesting discussions among the small groups that evening, and provoked much thought in the week following.

Steve began the evening by reading John 4:1-26, the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. He pointed out that the well is on the outskirts of town and as there was likely only one road in and out, the disciples must have passed the woman on their way to buy food. They returned to have Jesus having a life-transforming, life-giving conversation with someone they had utterly ignored. We tend to see causes, behaviors, stereotypes, problems- not people, Steve said. If we can learn to see them as God does, we will learn compassion. Matthew 9:36 reads, "When [Jesus] say the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (NIV). Steve told us that in Greek, the words here translated as compassion literally means that his guts hurt. We need Christian leaders whose guts will hurt when they see the lost, to whom Christ sends us, as the Father sent him.

We are sent out; we are told to GO. This requires movement and motion. It's not a simple matter of attracting people to Christ with our nice programs and new facilities. The Biblical strategy of outreach and compassion is three-fold: See. Go. Be. We must ask ourselves:

Who has God called you to see?

Where has God called you to go?

Who is it that God has called you to be?

A leader.

In fitting with this theme of compassion, those Calvin students who were able went into the city of Denver for a day of service on Saturday, reflections on which are sure to follow.