FAQ's

Colossians 3:12

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  (NIV)

Definition:

Compassion is too often defined in purely emotional terms, emphasizing a shared experience of pain with others.  However, though compassion may involve emotion, it should not merely be defined as a feeling of empathy.  In scripture, compassion points to less of a feeling of sympathy for another’s pain, and more towards a motivation to act on another’s behalf.  When Jesus had compassion on the crowds, he would heal them and feed them, giving us an example of a more active character trait rather than a passive emotion.  Neither does being compassionate mean that a person must always approach others in an extremely “soft” way.  That is not the example we see in Christ.  It is Christ’s compassion, for example, that led him to preach the message “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.”  Compassion leads us toward service of others, which will take different forms.  It is the motivation behind comforting someone in pain and behind the giving of a rebuke.  A compassionate person is inclusive in relationship and truly cares about the welfare of others, and therefore values and helps foster community.

Philippians 2:1-2