Compassion isn’t supposed to be a liability to us. It’s supposed to be the default setting of our hearts. It’s hardly something to be ashamed of or embarrassed by. Benevolence isn’t supposed to be a character defect. In fact, our lives as followers of Jesus should be...
Our obsession with being right in our eschatological and theological arguments is an idolatrous impediment to sharing the gospel (which is meant as good news for all people in the here and now). The fear-induced pressure for us to somehow “save” people from a...
Don’t let go, not now, not yet, but hold on tight, for I think we have more of a bumpy ride to come. Hold on to the hand of the Spirit. Hold on to your faith in justice and compassion. Hold on to the vision which has guided you all these years. Don’t let go, for the...
When God looks at our world, God weeps because the lust for power has entrapped and corrupted the human spirit. Instead of gratitude there is resentment; instead of praise there is criticism; instead of forgiveness there is revenge; instead of healing there is...
I have been asked hundreds of times in my life why God allows tragedy and suffering. I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction. I have to accept, by faith, that God is sovereign, and He is a God of love and mercy and...
For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?
It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull,...
Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.
Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It's a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.
The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That's how much gratitude I can give. If I carry only grief, I'll bend toward cynicism and despair. If I have only...