Why We Answered Yes, Send Me (part one)

It is said of Jesus several times in the New Testament, “He was moved with compassion.”. The original word is a very remarkable one not found in classic Greek. The word was in fact coined by the evangelists themselves. Not finding a suitable word in the Greek language that suited their purpose they therefore had to make one that would be expressive of the deepest emotion of extreme care, compelling concern and what Spurgeon termed, innermost pity.

The word ‘compassion’ comes from two Latin words, ‘suffer’ and ‘with’. To show compassion means to suffer with someone, to enter into a person’s situation and become involved in that person’s suffering. Compassion is not a theoretical attitude, but a practical involvement. It involves doing, not simply piteous reflection. ‘A compassionate response to suffering requires that one be moved by the suffering of the other, act to remove the immediate effects of the suffering, and respond at length to correct the structures which may have given rise to the suffering itself.’ (New Dictionary of Christian Ethics, ed. D. J. Atkinson & D. F. Field [Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press], p. 244).

There are two aspects of compassion. We could call them the heart and the hands of compassion. (Heart to God and Hand to Man) ‘Compassion means both the emotion experienced when a person is moved by the suffering of others, and the act of entering into the suffering of another person with the purpose of relieving it.’ (New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology, p.244). The first aspect, the emotion of compassion, expresses a desire to relieve a person’s suffering. But compassion is more than a desire. Emotion must lead to action. Compassion is an act of will - a decision to become actively involved in alleviating that person’s suffering. It’s that sense of emotional turmoil and agitation we have all felt; times when we, like Jesus, wept due the sorrow we gazed upon.

While stationed in Manhattan we often had occassion to visit the neighbouring state to the west, New Jersey. Our return was almost always in the evening. The entry back to Manhattant that was most convenient in returning to our Quarters on the Corps builiding was the Mid-town tunnel under the Hudson River. The approach to the tunnel was from a high hill where the road winds 360 degrees on the descent affording a spectatcular view of the island of Manhattan. It became a common occurance for me to have my focus blinded by tears as my mind went to the teeming, suffering masses "huddled, yearning to be free, on that crowded but for many, lonely island; more than 60 thousand homeless, seemingly hopeless, hurting, children of God. My mind always went to Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.

In my on campus MBA ethics courses I used a very simple analogy to differentiate between empathy and sympathy; entering into the experience of another person. You find yourself on a cruise ship on a balmy moonlit evening somewhere in the Caribbean and as you stroll the deck you spot a young lady behind the railing ready to make that final leap. You approach her and after sharing a few words learn that she feels she has no reason to live any longer. After hearing her list of travails the sympathizer says: 'I feel very sorry for you and your situation, I really think you should reconsider, there must be some reason you want to live.' The empathetic person would carefully crawl across the railing, and say: 'My heart goes out to you, please let me hold your hand; I'll jump with you on the count of three! One ... two ... three ... and in only a matter of seconds you have entered into the suffering of another; been moved to compassion for another.

Jesus’ whole life demonstrated compassion. The Gospel narratives show that he left his parental home in Nazareth to become an itinerant preacher to those he described as ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ (Matthew 10:6). Forsaking the comforts of home, having ‘nowhere to lay his head’ (Matthew 8:20), He became known as the ‘friend of publicans and sinners’ (Matthew 11:19). As He traveled throughout the towns and villages of Galilee, ‘He had compassion’ for the crowds of people who flocked to Him, ‘because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd’ (Matthew 9:36). His heart went out to them.

This morning at the corps a young Indian homeless man approached me during our feeding program. He had a list of questions all concerning the similarity in our two Gods (Hinduism vs Christianity). This concept or the idea that the differences don't matter is one many Christians seem eager to embrace; diffusing the differences. Ours is a loving God with a compelling message many dismiss, those leaning to embrace Eastern teaching. He asked again and again if we “aren’t all headed to meet the same God?” I was able to share that where we differ is illustrated in the remark of a Hindu convert to Christianity, Professor Purushotman Krishna, that Jesus ‘must have been indeed the most approachable man of all time.’ (Quoted E. M. Blaiklock, Who Was Jesus? [Chicago, Moody Press.) As we spoke the man’s brow furrowed and he looked at the immense corps insignia painted on the wall, and in the middle, the empty cross. I broke into his thoughts and shared ‘my God is a bit different than yours because He sent His Son to die for you and me – that was His primary purpose’ Although the word compassion is not used many times, even by the evangelists, we may easily use it to define the Savior's whole life and purpose.

We too were moved with compassion; our whole nature agitated and the only answer to finding peace was to commiserate and step into the suffering Jesus placed before us... We became His present day Evangelists moved by compassion and sought to spread His love to a suffering world, ordained by God, as officers of The Salvation Army. It doesn't matter today when or under what circumstances we resigned our commissions. What matters is do you, do I, still have a burning desire to seek the lost, to bring them to the Prince of caring and compassion.

'EXCEPT I BE MOVED WITH COMPASSION,
HOW DWELLETH THY SPIRIT IN ME.
IN WORD AND IN DEED
BURNING LOVE IS MY NEED
I KNOW I CAN FIND THIS IN THEE' SASB 527

General Albert Orsborn

Sven Ljungholm PhD
Exeter, UK
(part one)