Definition: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it
Perhaps you have heard the expression ‘compassion has a face’. That expression has likely become axiomatic for organizations that wish to motivate generosity, because who can resist the pained look on the face of someone who’s suffering? Jesus, the God-in-the-flesh and Son of Man, could not ignore those who came to Him when they were hurting. Indeed, Jesus is the ‘gold standard’ for how to respond with compassion – He was not only conscious of others’ distress, but alleviated it. Perhaps that’s who Webster and Merriam (the dictionary folks) were considering when they developed their definition of compassion (see it above). Even a Canaanite woman, whom Jesus said He did not come to serve, coaxed His healing power to rid her daughter of a demon (See the the 17th Century masterpiece artwork by Michael Angelo Immenraet, Jesus and the Woman of Canaan.). That is instructive for we who live in a time in which other voices are saying and doing things that challenge this basic Christian value. ‘Let’s help our own first’, or ‘we cannot help or fix everyone’, are two phrases that might find resonance, especially in the political parlance that has become familiar to anyone who’s been watching humanitarian crises around the world, and even at America’s borders. We surely cannot save or help all, but do the words of Jesus and His followers carry weight – as when Jesus taught about the response of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), or when the beloved Apostle spoke about seeing others’ condition and yet withholding pity (1 John 3:17)? As Merriam and Webster remind us, compassion is more than observation and consciousness, but moves with a desire to assist the distressed.
Here's a couple of more images that give us a visual on compassion. The first was when Jesus was moved to heal a blind man named Bartimaeus in Jericho (Mark 10:46-52) (See the 17th Century masterpiece artwork by Eustache Le Seur, Christ Healing the Blind Man.) This is one of many episodes in which Jesus responded, as He sought to find faith among the people. Their support of one government or another, and their ethnic identity did not matter to Him. Jesus called the Canaanite woman (see above) one of the ‘dogs’ (not an Israelite) – a foreigner – and yet acknowledged her cry for help and delivered. The good Samaritan (see its mention above also) was likewise a foreigner, a point that must have annoyed some of those listening to this rabbi teach them something that other teachers had not (see 17th masterpiece artwork here The Good Samaritan tends to the wounds of the wounded traveler).
‘God has chosen us as His people’, they thought and said, ‘not these aliens’. But others in Israel’s past, notably King David, exhibited compassion to those whom others must have warned him were sure to be his sworn enemies. Saul certainly was the most vivid example, as David’s most constant political foe. After David ascended to the throne in the wake of Saul’s death, he still showed kindness to one from the house of Saul – the crippled Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9).
So, the lesson of the above is thus: a person’s ethnicity, perceived political threat to someone, or his/her alien status doesn’t matter in God’s compassion calculus. America’s own history, and something like a written creed on one the nation’s most recognizable statues, tells of a moral code regarding this compassionate thread in our national ancestry. It says the following:
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
You can see the image of the plaque with these lines inside the base of the Statue of Liberty; it’s part of the
sonnet "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus, and the plaque was unveiled in 1903. As immigration has precipitated a humanitarian crisis at America’s southern border since the 1980s, this episode has become progressively prominent and challenging for Americans who are proud of our heritage and what Lady Liberty represents. To be sure, the immigration issue has grown by leaps and bounds (see Wikipedia article below re: illegal immigration), even while there are other issues in the U.S. that warrant our compassion. But, border security sparks the hottest political discussions and actions in 2024, and though solutions have been proposed, are they guarantees to quiet this crisis? The issues are complex, and will likely defy a simple resolution. Is a better physical wall required, and would it be effective? Those are two good questions. Are mass deportations of illegal aliens necessary or wise? Would there be unforeseen consequences, including economic ones, in such a policy? Are illegal aliens the source of more crime in the country? All good questions, so see a couple of links below, which it is hoped will better inform us as citizens. Is not the following also a valid question for we who call ourselves Christ followers?: How should we respond emotionally and spiritually to this? Let us begin with well-researched information, not mere opinions and suppositions. Christians don’t need to respond to anything with fear – He tells us that attitude is counter to His love (1 John 4:18); and the examples of compassion we see in scripture also should make us aware of how to respond here in the 21st Century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States (see 'Economic Impact' and 'Crime and law enforcement' sub-headers for good details. Also see 'Deportation Trends' subheader about halfway down the page for information on 1986 law that President Reagan signed giving amnesty to 3 million illegal immigrants at that time, and other things that happened.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border_wall ('Controversy' and 'Effectiveness' re: the wall's expected effect)
See here for information on this masterpiece artwork: Jesus Heals the 'Dog' Canaanite Woman's Daughter… This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.
See here for information on the masterpiece artwork: Jesus Heals the Blind Man Bartimaeus…This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.
See information on the Good Samaritan image here: File:Balthasar van Cortbemde - The Good Samaritan.jpg - Wikimedia Commons…. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.
See here for information on the plaque words by Emma Lazarus: Statue of Liberty 'New Colossus' re: immigrants … This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. Note: This only applies to original works of the Federal Government and not to the work of any individual U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, county, municipality, or any other subdivision. This template also does not apply to postage stamp designs published by the United States Postal Service since 1978. (See § 313.6(C)(1) of Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices). It also does not apply to certain US coins; see The US Mint Terms of Use
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