Cashmere of Compassion

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” ~ Col 3:9-14

I love clothes. Especially new ones. I love the way they feel soft and fresh. I love the brightness of color, the unwrinkled fabric, the new look added to my familiar face.

What good news then to read that we Christians have received a new wardrobe, one designed especially for our hearts. These garments not only beautify, but they also transform.

Much of the Christian life involves using this new closet. We must take off our old clothes (sinful deeds) and put on the new ones (traits of Jesus). When Christ redeemed us from slavery to Sin and moved us to our home in Him, He filled our closets with the finest garments fit perfectly for our freed hearts. One such article of clothing is compassion.

Mother Theresa comes to mind. She spent her life loving the poor in Jesus’ name. With the courage of love she hugged on, prayed for, lived with those in physical, emotional and spiritual pain. Truly, she exemplified compassion.

But we don't have to spend our lives in another country to live compassionately. Webster’s defines compassion as "a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." How difficult, though, to move myself on behalf of others. I see a homeless person or a single parent struggling, and my heart moves on their behalf; not too often, however, do I respond to that sympathy. Compassion requires that I learn to act.

Our culture, unfortunately, idolizes the self. Seeking one's own gain and profit surpasses the value of caring for the needs of others. We have lost sight to much of the suffering in the world by following the American dream, pursuing wealth, pleasure, happiness.

How moved are we by the starving children in Africa? The gang-rapes in the ghetto across town? The family next-door who can’t pay their mortgage? Or, even the men and women who sit next to us in church struggling to make sense of this world?

There are plenty of people to whom we can show compassion. Finding people is not the problem; our hearts are the problem. Though a follower of Christ, I often still wear an old, torn-up shirt of selfishness, leaving a beautiful cashmere sweater of compassion hanging in the closet. In order to take it off the hanger, I need to see it modeled.

Christ calls us to wear compassion because He Himself is compassionate. He talked with the outcastes and lepers, healed the lame, fed the poor, gave sight to the blind, ate with sinners, hugged children. He felt sympathy for us, and He did something about it.

In the greatest act of compassion, He "alleviated" the "distress" of our sin as He crucified His Son on the cross. When He saw us dead in our transgressions, He responded according to His love and mercy by sending us His Son to rescue us.

As recipients of this love and witness to the perfect Model, so we should live. As we get dressed in the morning, let us remember to dress our hearts. This day, may we take compassion off the hanger and wear it as we respond to those in need.

What does it look like to don your new sweater? As you go through today, to whom can you show compassion?