Compassion

“Compassion is love’s response to pain.”

Sympathy is the ability to recognize that a person is in pain. Empathy is the ability to experience their feelings.

However, compassion is putting those thoughts and feelings into action. We demonstrate compassion when we move beyond simply worrying about other people, and do something about it.

Compassion is a core value of most religions. Love is the most powerful force in human life. Love beats hate.

God is love. Love is God. God loves everyone, no exceptions. We recognize that love, more than anything else, is what holds human life together. We strive for a world where everyone is encouraged and supported in living their full human potential. Not only your family, but the community needs your support.

Compassion is having sympathetic thoughts and feelings for others and then putting those thoughts and feelings into action.

We are all going to be called to exercise compassion in significant amounts in the coming months before this pandemic passes. The coronavirus is still spreading in many places. Our religious traditions call us to be compassionate as we respond to this viral outbreak and the economic downturn.

It's far easier to prevent a fire than to put one out. Compassion is also thinking ahead. Examples: have only as many children as you can afford. Help your family and friends get all their immunization shots. Brush your teeth often. Fix relationship problems before they get bigger. Take action to stop addictions.

Prevention is cheaper (and usually less painful) than the cure or repairs.

If you love the world and its people's, you show your compassion by what you do --such as acts of kindness for the community. Imagine how much would get done if everyone volunteered?

Richard Baker