Compassion

Very recently I sat in a chair listening to a man pour his heart out to students. Some of which were holding onto every word he said, others were more interested in what their classes would hold for them in the coming hours, or some even to busy looking at their phones to pay attention. But what really caught me was the fact that the speaker knew these things but still unleashed his passion. He wasn't going to let stubborn egocentric pompous students relinquish the fire God had placed on his heart.  His message was simple, and his delivery powerful. He simply pleaded that we would feel compassion.

Compassion, that's a funny word isn't it? What do we mean when we say compassion? Is it like love? Or more like that fiery passion we see on our favorite motivational speakers? Compassion is simply feeling so strongly about something that it springs you into action. To not be content to reduce the most powerful word on the planet (love) to just an emotion, but to push the limits and make it a force that drives and spurs you into action. Compassion is not to be confused with what I feel for Krispy Kreme donuts. Now let me tell you I LOVE me some sugary fluffy round goodness they call a donut, and if the red light is on outside I will storm the front doors like a crazy lady on the day after Thanksgiving sale. However, I'm not compassionate for them. I would never fight for them, and even though I might pitch a commercial I would never take a stand and speak on their behalf.

But that is exactly what this man was doing, he was standing up in front of thousands of students with no personal agenda but to simply urge us to feel compassion. His cause was one that struck my heart string and I would like to just pass on a few highlights to you so that possibly we can together spring into action.

In Samaria there is currently a famine going on that has been one of the worst disasters since Katrina. While I was home on college break enjoying my cinnamon toast crunch in the morning and grandmothers home cooking, 30,000 children in Samaria died of starvation. Allow me to repeat that and say that 30,000 CHILDREN DIED!!!!!!!!!!! The worst part is that their death's were completely preventable. Unlike the tragic disaster that was Hurricane Katrina that we had no control of, this deaths could have been prevented if they only had 1/8 of the food we as Americans take for granted or thumb our nose at. And there's more, if we don't act now 30,000 more children will die by Christmas Break. That at what is supposed to be the most joyous time of the year where we are supposed celebrating our savior's birth 60,000 Samarian families will be wrenched by death.

Please judge my heart, I'm not trying to get on a soapbox or lecture or even guilt trip. My mind just goes back to a familiar song we all sang as kids "Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world; Red and Yellow, Black or White; They are precious in his sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world." My Savior died for these children, and we as a country have been content to sit back and watch them breath their last hungry breaths while we feast on fast food! These children were fearfully and wonderfully made! Designed with a specific purpose in mind! What if in our generational gluttony and selfishness we are robbing kids of the very thing we preach on sundays: Life.

Their are plenty of sites that we can donate on or find out ways to pray for them. But here's what I don't want you to do. Please don't close this blog thinking "That was Good" and do nothing with it!!! I don't want you to think my writing is good, I'm not writing this with myself in mind!!! The word compassion is used 106 times, and they all speak of how God sitting in heaven could have sat and watched us suffer, but because of his great love intervened and rescued us. These kids need rescuing from starvation, we have the ability to help. The question is this: Will we be compassionate?