Feeling It Beyond the Ocean

Jesus taught us, saying: “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and there will be gifts for you: a full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap; because the standard you use will be the standard used for you.” Luke 6:36-38

“Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate” is a stinking high bar.  Indeed if the church would simply reflect this one facet of our Father, imagine how indeed His name would be glorified.  

I always thought that compassion meant something about shared feelings with someone, but in reality the roots of passion are “pain” as in the passion of Christ.  And as he, Jesus Christ, followed in His Father’s footsteps to the nth degree of compassion, so are we too follow.  It is not an easy road, but the way is clear.  

If we walk with the pain of the other, how tender we will be.  

No need to be so confused

All the fires you have to walk through

Because they are breaking you

And making you

Building you to be

Soft enough to love the least of these

Even Me

And I will always love you

Even when you feel you walk alone 

-Cameron Hood

And when this road leads through a dark, overarching forest crouched in a valley, what a joy it is to catch glimpses of roaring campfires through the trees and hear cheery shouts and laughter.  Even feeling it beyond the ocean, Providence at work, bringing in food from unknown people, other “pilgrims of truth.”  Thank you, Matteo.

Come now and see the works of God, how wonderful He is in his doing toward all people.  Psalm 66:4