More Love, More Compassion
As I sit and type this post, the one that's been on my heart for over a week now, the irony is not lost. Ziggy Marley's "Love is my Religion" is playing in the background. The acoustic version. And maybe this is not what Ziggy intended when he sang that song but the words are bringing me full circle.
Remembering love. Love should be the language first on our lips. Flowing from our hearts. My redeemed heart. Bought by a savior who only knew how to love. He did it well. Perfectly in fact. His love stretched from the Pharisees, orphans and widows to the prostitute at the well to the religious in the temple and all those that weren't worthy. That aren't worthy. Those that don't deserve a second look. And yes the ones that do too. Meeting them where they were at. Whether that be on the fringe, not able to be on the inside because of a disease plaguing them or right there in their homes with women at his feet. Just wanting to be right there. In the moment. Loving Him back.
Makes me think of Compassion. The God ordained organization that meets those right where they are. Fills them up with the mighty Word. The love of Jesus. Takes the command to "love your neighbor" on a whole different level. Heck, an entirely elevated, out of this world height. An inspiring and overwhelming ministry that loves and loves well. Serving all those with less than and sharing the sweet love of Jesus by meeting their basic needs.
We first stumbled upon this ministry at a concert. I saw the sign, did a quick glance over the table and walked away thinking it wasn't for us. There was no "extra" money in the budget. Completely relative, right? At least I thought so at the time. Then the days that followed I couldn't get that word out of my head. Compassion. Certainly that wasn't for me. For us. We just couldn't afford it. And like a lightening bolt from the sky I was struck. Struck with a compulsion so pressing that it could not be ignored. These verses. That undid me. Read them slowly. One. Word. At a time.
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others."
Philippians 2: 1-4
Paul is addressing the Philippians here. It says in my NIV study Bible that the intent of these letters were to encourage the people, unite them in spiritual unity in order to spur them on to a purpose greater than themselves. The people of Philippi had met the needs of Paul. At the time these letters were written Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Yet despite his less than ideal circumstances he is filled with gratitude, even joy, for people that went beyond themselves and cared for him. Particularly the Christians in Philippi. It seems as though Paul was so encouraged by their service that he wanted to encourage the people to carry on, continue with this love. In hope that then and only then would they be able to experience the true joy that comes from loving and serving others in Christ's name. Yeah, I'd say that sums up Compassion. Following this recommendation, living it day to day and offering others, believers or not, to do the same. To take up and care for someone less than because we have more than. An opportunity to come along side and love. In a different way.
The beginning words of the chapter, "If you have...", laughable to me. If I have, I do have. And when I thought there wasn't money in the budget to share there was. "Consider others better than yourselves", humility. That was one I needed to work on. Still do. Compassion offers the means to place others above myself. I am so grateful they do. They are caring for the "interests of others" and allowing us to do the same.
So when I say Compassion came to me, it really did. When I say it gives our family more love. It does. When I write how it was so easy to participate. It really is. Our family gathered around the computer and Oswaldo was chosen for us. His big brown eyes boring a hole in our soul, at least mine. And that is how it came to be. A concert where there was a table. A verse placed before me. Prayer. A computer screen and the six of us huddled around. A few clicks and taps of the keyboard and we were on board. Alongside Compassion. Doing just a small part. Establishing a relationship to start, "being one in purpose".
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others."
Philippians 2: 1-4
Paul is addressing the Philippians here. It says in my NIV study Bible that the intent of these letters were to encourage the people, unite them in spiritual unity in order to spur them on to a purpose greater than themselves. The people of Philippi had met the needs of Paul. At the time these letters were written Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Yet despite his less than ideal circumstances he is filled with gratitude, even joy, for people that went beyond themselves and cared for him. Particularly the Christians in Philippi. It seems as though Paul was so encouraged by their service that he wanted to encourage the people to carry on, continue with this love. In hope that then and only then would they be able to experience the true joy that comes from loving and serving others in Christ's name. Yeah, I'd say that sums up Compassion. Following this recommendation, living it day to day and offering others, believers or not, to do the same. To take up and care for someone less than because we have more than. An opportunity to come along side and love. In a different way.
The beginning words of the chapter, "If you have...", laughable to me. If I have, I do have. And when I thought there wasn't money in the budget to share there was. "Consider others better than yourselves", humility. That was one I needed to work on. Still do. Compassion offers the means to place others above myself. I am so grateful they do. They are caring for the "interests of others" and allowing us to do the same.
So when I say Compassion came to me, it really did. When I say it gives our family more love. It does. When I write how it was so easy to participate. It really is. Our family gathered around the computer and Oswaldo was chosen for us. His big brown eyes boring a hole in our soul, at least mine. And that is how it came to be. A concert where there was a table. A verse placed before me. Prayer. A computer screen and the six of us huddled around. A few clicks and taps of the keyboard and we were on board. Alongside Compassion. Doing just a small part. Establishing a relationship to start, "being one in purpose".
Back to that song I mentioned earlier, "Love is my Religion". We could make it so. Throw out all the joy stealing legalism and simply love. Love others like we love ourselves. Everyone. Those with less than, more than, not enough, too much. I'm not just talking financial standing here people. All of them. Because we have unity. We have fellowship. We have the Spirit. We have a Jesus that showed us how to. For me, that's what Compassion is steeped in, just loving others. Plain and simple. More love. More Compassion.
* This post is part of a linky party on the Compassion website, click over here to take a look and read through some inspiring stories, or maybe even consider sponsoring a child, if the spirit prompts.
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