Click here for the scripture reading (coming soon)
Click here to listen to the reflection (coming soon)
A biblical definition for being compassionate is the ability to feel another’s feelings in your guts. Compassion asks us to understand life from the other’s perspective. One of our deepest human needs is to be understood and then loved. Clearly, the soldiers do not seek to understand the plight of an innocent Jesus but add to his sorrow and humiliation.
Compassion is comprised of two Latin words: com which means “with” and pati which means “to suffer.” In compassion we are even willing to enter another’s suffering to bring healing and support. Father Henri Nouwen reminds us that compassionate love dares to meet us in the deepest and darkest of all recesses of life. Grace is God’s unfailing commitment to love that willingly enters where we are suffering most deeply. As hard as it is to reflect upon this passage, we see that Jesus even understands the brutality, abuse, and denigration some inflict upon others.
God’s grace is indeed amazing, as we see how hopeful it can be. God enters into and brings new life even from our deepest pain. Yet, even with this hope, we see many who remain in their pain and do not find their joy completed. One reason is that many of us keep our pain behind locked doors, trying to prevent it from escaping and hurting us again. We fear that if we even open the door a crack, the pain will escape and bring its suffering again. We will feel shame or humiliation again. When you close a door to contain what’s inside, you also do not let anything else enter. Our closed doors can keep the light of love from entering and taking away our darkness. As painful as it may be, to let grace into our lives we need to open the doors to our hearts and souls and let it bring its healing touch. We are a resilient people, and grace is an unfailing commitment.
God or we cannot remove a barrier if we are not willing to face it. It takes courage and strength to do so, but God’s grace is ready to rush in and support us. Grace turns our world upside-down so our world may be right-side up.
Thoughts to ponder:
Is there a door you are keeping locked and shut? How is it creating a barrier to receiving grace?
What encouragement do you need to open it even a crack?
How would your life be filled with deeper joy and more abundance if you could overcome the hurt? What would hope look like?
Continue to the next station when you are ready by clicking this link.
If this experience has raised questions or concerns and you would like to have further conversations, please email srpastor@doveofthedesert.com.
Stations of the Cross at Dove of the Desert UMC 