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I reflected, on my trip home to Florida, also, on the joy of that sharing of compassion, in contrast to much that goes under the name of ministry and church. Indeed, much of what we pastors seem faced with has little to do with compassion, service, or ministry. We are, as I reflected, often seen as managers of churches and pleasers of constituents, rather than embodiments of the compassion of Christ and prophets calling persons to a deeper dying to the I, me, and mine self-focus that looks for pleasure foremost, even on a Sunday AM in church Worship.
However, in moments of compassionate connection with another soul, another child of God (and that means anyone, not just a fellow “Christian”), I sense and know the glory of being in the Spirit of Christ and sharing life essence in Love. I find, then, that such moments put everything in perspective and the dignity of my vocation—indeed, all vocation--comes into sharper focus, as well as the life of Jesus’ total self-giving for those in most need and most uncared for by established structures of piety.
Meeting this sister-in-faith and sharing in her pain, even as she had offered my family encouragement in the days before, helped me realize the glory and joy of what Jesus speaks to us:
37"Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' (Matthew 25, NLT)
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Whom did I offer solace to in that hallway? Was it a young lady name Juanita? Was it Christ? Was it both? And, how could I offer compassion to another who is one with me in God and not, then, be giving myself compassion at the same time? This is all a Mystery, but known in experience as truly as the feeling of touching your own face right now. This Mystery is known only in heart knowledge, and I can never, anymore than you can, explain this. To one who does not know this with the heart, then, it must sound like mystical foolishness, or something else. But, once you know this with the heart, you cannot deny its validity.
Christ Compassion is the Christ reaching into and through you to grace you to be the Christ Presence for another child of the Spirit, who is already one in God, eternally, with you. You do not show this compassion from a prior plan. You do not give this compassion because you ought, or only because you are naturally a caring person. You do not learn this compassion from a book, a seminary class, or from observing others, regardless of how such learning can assist in framing a concept of what this compassion might be. Rather, this is a spontaneous, free, graceful, daring, and embodied act of pure self-divulgence in Love. This often will happen unplanned, and the more you are open to the Spirit of Christ, the more this spontaneous compassion will flow through you, for this Compassion is God-in-Christ, in You. You become more and more the willing instrument of Grace; indeed, you become a living, Christ-full, and gracefully surrendered means of Grace.
Continued... |
