When we are able to rest in and be quiet in the midst of suffering and destruction, we often sense God's compassion and support. It is not so much that God gives us answers to every questions, but that we know we are not alone. Only when we frantically try to fix things ourselves do we risk missing the God who is always among us. Twelve step friends often speak this truth humorously when they ask: Do you know the difference between God and you? God never thinks he is you!
The word compassion, in its Latin root, means to suffer with. It is a powerful notion, especially when we have experienced it as a simple gift from God. The matter about which we are worried or which causes us suffering does not matter. Our compassionate God walks alongside us without judgment or arrogance as a companion, someone upon whom we can rely, who asks for nothing in return.
When the psalmist extends God's compassion to all God's works and creatures, we hear the challenge. While it is not difficult to acknowledge that God suffers with us, that God suffers with all creation stretches our faith. Created in God's image, we must also try to be a compassionate presence to all that is. While our love for creation is different than our love for friends and family, it is of God and something for which we strive each day.
Today, be grateful for all God's gifts, especially Mother Earth.
How do you understand God's compassion?
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