Compassion is something that has become increasingly rare these days. It is easy to be compassionate to someone that is hurting or who has suffered a loss, but what I am talking about is the every day compassion to those around us. What really got me thinking about this was the recent “miscalculation” of Christ’s return by Harold Camping. I expected the secular and atheist groups to mock him, but even many church and Christian teachers were jumping on him, making a mockery of him, and to those who do not know Christ, a mockery of the Church. Don’t get me wrong, I believe Camping’s teachings are false when it comes to predicting the date of the rapture and I know little of his teaching beyond that, but a good friend of mine made a great statement: “If we believed in our hearts that we knew when Jesus was returning to take home His Church, wouldn’t we want to tell everyone we knew?” That got me thinking: “Why don’t we, The Church, have that same urgency of His return?” I mean, the information, the relationship we have with Christ is what will save others from an eternal destiny of torment - Hell! Do we really lack compassion for the lost that much?
The Church’s mission is to Make Disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). To do so, The Church (that is US) must build trust with those who are lost, sharing our lives with lost people - the very lives that Christ transformed from a lost, sinful soul to a new creation of infinite worth - in the hope that they will want Christ as well! The only thing we have to offer others is the very hope that saves lives!
How often have you been listening to someone speak and that person begins to put someone else down to make themselves look good? Do you trust them after hearing that? Me neither!
I am not making a stand on Camping’s teachings by any means - predicting dates is flat wrong, but we don’t need to humiliate him to make that statement. My point is that when we treat everyone with compassion, we are teaching those around us (our family, friends and those we mentor) that people matter to God and us. Lost people need Christ, and we must represent Him well. How many people have been brought into the Kingdom by being humiliated for their beliefs? God grieves over them! However, how many people have been won to the Kingdom by grace and love? Only God knows, and I am pretty sure that is why He taught us to extend grace and love as well as we seek to become more like Christ every day!
Romans 5:21
so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
