Compassion

[Ldshap]

One of the transitional qualities in Mrs. Eddy’s Second Degree of the Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind – “Evil beliefs disappearing. MORAL. Humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance” (S & H, p. 115).

Gal 6 – Referred to as a definition of compassion: “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Verses 1-2).

Helpful comments about COMPASSION from several articles in CS periodicals:
• Love and compassion are closely related
• In the rush and turmoil of every day life it would often appear that there is danger of forgetting the necessity of exercising the quality of compassion
• Tender, ministering love; helpful word; loving thought; Christly affection
• Deep spiritual consciousness; discerning our brother’s need; binding up the broken-hearted
• A divinely mental quality; lovingkindness and encouragement; Christly nature
• Being rid of criticism, condemnation, and self-righteousness
• We can never learn compassion until we have realized our own need of forgiveness
• Compassion and humility must ever walk hand in hand
• Active state of love; love in action; tender word, kindly act
• True compassion brings spontaneity and quick healing
• While the letter is necessary, “It is the spirit that quickeneth” (John 6:63)
• It is impossible to dissociate Jesus’ healings from compassion
• Compassion is of close kindred to charity (I Cor 13: 1-13 – Lesson Bible citation #9)
• Are we are making practical the Christian application of God’s law through self-sacrifice and unselfed love, by encouraging and ministering to the needs of those in distress?

Mrs. Eddy: “Jesus was compassionate, true, faithful to rebuke, ready to forgive” (’02: 18: 12).

As I ponder the above list and seek to reflect the quality of compassion more in my daily life, I’m grateful for this comment in one of the articles,: “Some people seem naturally more compassionate than others, but this quality of love belongs to all by divine inheritance, and all can cultivate it till it blooms afresh in their hearts. We can always draw nearer to the dear Father, that it may flourish and grow…”

Sources: “Compassion” (CSS, 12/20/24, Christina V. Forsyth); “Compassion” (CSJ, Aug. 1926, Daisy Bedford); “Loving Compassion” (CSS, 7/27/35, Marjorie Ligertwood); “Compassion” (CSS, 6/1/1918, Duncan Sinclair); “Compassion and Brotherly Love” (CSS, 7/8/1927, Blaine W.R. Krout)

[KarenM]

The account of the raising of a widow’s son in the city of Nain really struck me. Of the three accounts in the gospels of Jesus raising the dead and the other two accounts of healing in the lesson, only the raising of the widow’s son was unsolicited. “Many of his disciples went with him and much people came into the city with Jesus and came upon this scene. What an opportunity for Jesus to show true compassion. As the account says, “…behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” Jesus was so moved in his heart with the suffering that was clearing being felt by not only the widow and her loss of her son but of everyone around her, that the Christ-love he embodied impelled him to relieve her suffering and raise her son. What a lesson to his disciples of the compassion that would be required of them in order to fulfill their future mission.

In describing the power of this love of God, Mrs. Eddy said “I saw the love of God encircling the universe and man, filling all space, and that divine Love so permeated my own consciousness that I loved with Christ-like compassion everything I saw. This realization of divine Love called into expression the beauty of holiness, the perfection of being which healed and regenerated and saved all who turned to me for help.” (Attributed to Mrs. Eddy, From “General Collectanea” published by Gilbert C. Carpenter Jr.)

What a beautiful lesson on the Love that is God.

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