Compassion in Action
Author: Lin Daniels (Massachusetts, US)
When I was at school, I witnessed an act of compassion I will never forget. A boy using crutches fell in the entrance to our school. I watched with dismay and did not know what to do. Meanwhile, Diana, another student, asked him if he needed help. When he responded yes, she came to his aid. She allowed her feeling of compassion to become an act of compassion.
In our scripture reading for today, we see that Nehemiah was also filled with compassion and acted accordingly. The Israelites were complaining that they lacked food, and were forced to mortgage their fields and borrow money at huge interest rates. They also had to sell their children as slaves. They suffered these things at the hands of fellow Israelites, not foreigners. Nehemiah confronted the guilty ones and got them to change their ways.
Nehemiah showed leadership not just by empathising but also by doing something to improve the situation. He didn’t just feel the pain of others; he was moved to help them. As God’s servants we too are called to respond with mercy and to put his love into action.
Prayer: Dear God of compassion, help us to go beyond just feeling and become doers of your word and work. Amen
