Compassion
“If only you could learn the meaning of the words ‘i want compassion more than a sacrifice’”. That’s disruptive and breathtaking—particularly relevant today in our current culture-climate. I have been rolling those words around my head a lot lately and I genuinely wish that I could learn to live the meaning of those words perfectly. Compassion. Sacrifice. Its humbling really. So much of why we do what we do, or sacrifice, is really…for ourselves. Yet we dress it up and proclaim it as a noble expended effort—a “gift” i give…but who are we kidding? Its not that sacrifice isn’t a required part in making choices, i mean, it is every single time, right? No matter how we dress it up, we most often use sacrifice “selflessly” as currency in exchange for something else we really want i (hardly selfless at all), like attention. Its not that a sacrifice isn’t a required part in making choices, i mean, it is every single time, right? And sacrifice is most often considered the opposite of selfishness—unless its the payoff we are after when we make that “sacrifice”. That’s why i think Jesus said “nah nah nah nah, compassion more”. When its compassion that is the source of the sacrifice—then we are walking on holy, unshakable, ground. Sacrifice then becomes the result of compassion. Compassion really is the heart of the matter. What if most of us simply focused some tiny part of our our social efforts on being compassionate towards one another? Irrespective of labels, behaviors, or categories we humans like to lean on? Irrespective of race, ethnicity, income, education, creed, religion, appearance, sexuality; whatever it is we find challenges us to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves”? What if… It doesn’t mean you have to abandon everything you believe just because someone behaves or looks differently than you; it just means that you engage others with dignity and compassion whether you think they are different or not. Because the hilarious irony is—YOU are the one who is different (no matter how you dress it up on the outside)—everyone is!
I really like these words; “Love is ever ready to believe the best in EVERY person…” and i think many people like to conveniently ignore the “EVERY” part of the wisdom in this divine counsel. But that’s a huge mistake and a perversion of the point. Without love, without compassion, sacrifice is dead—pointless. Do the world a favor if you really want to make a difference. Learn a little about compassion and go safely try it out somewhere but get one step out of your normal comfort zone. See if it doesn’t make a surprising difference in your day and the day of those around you. Share your story!