There is a gap in my life. It exists between what I think and what I feel. Sometimes I can listen intently and care deeply and yet not feel the pain that others are going through. Over the past three weeks, we have been talking about the Gospel and race. What I have come to realize is that I think about the problems, difficulties and the pain that many are or have gone through ... and yet I do not experience much of the deep emotions that I see some experience. There is no self-condemnation or shame in that, just an observation and recognition that if I want to grow my capacity for empathy and justice, I need to work on that. How about you?
This past Sunday as we studied the Good Samaritan in relation to crossing racial barriers to act compassionately on behalf of others needs, it is clear that when we see a need, our response or action often is a result of what we deeply feel. Jesus makes the statement about the Samaritan, “… when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds …” The word compassion in the Greek is splanchizomi (splank-knee-zo-my). It means to be moved in the bowels, which were considered the seat of human emotion, the gut! When Jesus uses this word, He is also referring to a divine movement of God upon a person. It is that God has given us emotions and He touches our hearts in ways that lead us to action, the justice side of compassion.
What moves you in this conversation on race and the Gospel? What have you seen or experienced that has lead you to act on behalf of another? If the man left by the side of the road half dead were someone who you despised, would you stop? What if you were in a hurry or stopping meant you would miss an opportunity … would you stop? Would you feel deeply enough, moved in your splanchizomi, to act justly?
THIS WEEK: Take some time to mind the gap. Stop and pray; ask God to help you feel what you think and to think about what you feel. And maybe then ... we can grow our compassion and justice muscles.
-Pastor Jerry