Compassion...

Luke 6.36 (CEB)
Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.

It is stewardship season. This is a time when we focus on how we perceive and use our time, talents, and treasures. As a steward, we are first to recognize that what we have, who we are, and what we do is because God created us unique and capable people. Secondly, as a steward, we are responsible to God in how we use what has been entrusted to us.

As I see it, culturally, we find ourselves in the middle of two competing thoughts: 1) we can make it without God at all or 2) we can manipulate God into doing what we wish if we do certain things. As followers of Jesus the Christ, instead, we choose a third way that seeks to live in response to God’s hope for all humanity that all will be saved and we are part of this salvation by living in kingdom ways.

One way for us to live these kingdom values is for us to be stewards of compassion. Compassion is to live in the world with a deep concern about the disproportions we encounter in this world accompanied by the active desire to make the world more just. How exactly might we be a steward of compassion…well, Sunday just might be a help for us all. See you then!

Grace and peace,
Rev. Brian