On a sunny morning in June, 2003, two days after my 37th birthday, I had an unsolicited, unexpected and unbelievable encounter with God. Put more simply, without asking, praying or seeking, I woke up one morning a churchgoing agnostic (following years of rabid atheism) and put my head to the pillow that night a newly minted, highly unlikely Christian. I wish I could say my radical conversion happened gently…all harps and angels and light…but that was not my experience. On the contrary, I was nauseous, had trouble catching my breath and felt like there was a 500 lb weight on my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. But here’s the kicker. A lifelong skeptic who was, at times, militantly anti-Christian, I suddenly believed without hesitation that the Christian story that I had frequently railed against was true. I couldn’t have told you what that story was, but I knew without the luxury of details that it was all true. Now this might make some sense if I needed a spiritual experience. Say if I was fighting a serious illness or was down on my luck financially-or maybe if I were struggling with a painful loss or trying to navigate a tough personal challenge. But I didn’t need a spiritual experience. As far as I was concerned, my life was perfect. I was a successful PR executive making a healthy six-figure salary, married to my best friend who also made a six-figure salary. We had three healthy, happy kids and lived in our dream home about an hour northwest of New York City. I was seven years sober and had faced down most of my major issues/resentments in a program of recovery. Life was pretty good. Yet, there I was-sick, crying and convinced that something beyond my comprehension had happened to me. No one was more surprised than my husband Martin, who was there with me when it happened. He had been a Christian since he was a kid and knew the extent to which I thought the whole Christian thing was a contrivance. I had fought vigorously over coffee and cigarettes to convince him that religion had been created by leaders to control the masses or by weak individuals to soften the blow of their incapacity to deal with their day to day lives. He never did come around to my way of thinking, but I figured if he could overlook the fact that I was an alcoholic single mother with two kids and marry me, I could overlook the fact that he was a Christian and marry him. So here I was, convinced that this Christian thing was true, with no idea what that really meant. What followed was years of learning that is discussed in much greater detail in a book that I am writing. Suffice it to say that I learned that following Christ and living by the dictates of the Holy Spirit does not always add up to the overly simplified “join the team and your life will be wonderful” message that I have heard so frequently. As a matter of fact, the years since that day in 2003 have been some of the most difficult I have ever encountered. We have lost more than you can imagine-money, possessions, prestige and people. And yet, I would not turn back for the world. So, now I’m trying to make sense of this new life. Attempting to go beyond predictable platitudes in order to allow this change of heart to lead to a genuine change of life. This blog will chronicle the day to day joys and trials of my journey and raise some key questions and challenges I face as I find my place in a faith that still confounds me.
This is the second in a series of guest posts from Christian scholars and thinkers regarding what Jesus might have made of the Charter for Compassion developed in response to religious scholar and TED Prize winner Karen Armstrong’s wish to develop a way for people of different faiths across the world to unite around their common view of compassion as a virtue. Phyllis Tickle kicked us off earlier this week.
John Barry, editor in chief of Bible Study Magazine and blogger at ConversantLife.com writes:
On one level, I have no doubt that Jesus would be pleased with people rallying around compassion. Jesus’ insistence that “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the second greatest commandment makes this clear (Mark 12:31; quoting from Leviticus 19:18). But Jesus’ holistic view of love and compassion is a bit shocking–even jarring. Let’s put Jesus’ commandment in context.
Just before Mark 12:31, Jesus says the first greatest commandment is “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:29-30; quoting from Deut 6:4 -5)–really with everything. The character of the God that Jesus insists we love–the God who is one–brings me to what I think would be his second response: Do not mistake love for passivity.
A Charter for Compassion is great on one level, but it is also dangerous: It can convince us to be passive.
No doubt, Jesus passively endured the pain of the cross and did so nearly silently; even asking God to forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). But he frankly had little respect for the beliefs of other people. Jesus says to a fellow group of Jews who believed differently than him, “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it” (Luke 11:43-44 ESV, italics added). (And Jesus also says plenty of harsher comments than these.)
The people listening to Jesus don’t take this lightly. A lawyer answers by saying, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also” (Luke 11:45 ESV). But this doesn’t cause Jesus to pull back his punches; instead he throws another, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:46 ESV, italics added).
Jesus knew about the pain his fellow Jews were inflecting upon both Jewish and non-Jewish people. And he also knew about the God who had instructed them time and time again, via his prophets and the law he had given them, tonot commit injustices. It made Jesus furious. He’s the guy who turns over tables, after all, and drives people out of his “Father’s house” (the Jewish temple) with a whip of cords (John 2:13-17).
But does this mean Jesus wasn’t compassionate? By no means. He healed hundreds of people he had compassion on and was moved to tears when one of his friends died (John 11:28-44). Several times the gospel writers even tell us about Jesus’ compassion on a person or a group of people (Matt 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; Mark 6:34; 8:2; 10:33; 15:20)–including a woman, who would have be
en on the underside of power in the period (Luke 7:13).
So what would Jesus do with a Compassion Charter? I don’t think he would sign it. I think he would be aware of how easily it could lead to condoning the actions of other faiths that are unjust. Jesus was not compassionate towards those who had no compassion. Instead, he was ruthless with his words of rebuke of whatever injustices they were committing. However, what Jesus was authorized to do is not a license for us to do the same. We cannot stand in the place of God. But we certainly can call out injustices of other people and faiths–with due caution, of course, and awareness of the ambiguities among different religions. We certainly don’t want to stereotype anyone or unjustly accuse them. All I am suggesting is that we be careful when talking about compassion towards all people. Because Jesus would not be compassionate on those causing other people harm–no matter what faith they professed.
Would love to hear your thoughts…
posted November 15, 2009 at 1:19 pm
“Jesus would not be compassionate on those causing other people harm..”
That’s an interesting assertion given the account of him extending salvation to two men crucified next to him who were armed robbers (and maybe worse).
posted November 15, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Swing and a miss, Mr. Barry. Matthew 5:44 seems pretty clear. “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
posted November 16, 2009 at 8:47 am
I would agree that compasion could lead to being Passive. unto what is unjust. However what I think the other commenters are missing is that There is Rightous anger. you can be angry at someone you love. However you must be careful that that anger doesn’t go too far. The rightous angry displayed from Jesus in the temple was for the turning his Father’s House into a Marketplace!
The Compassion was for those that would believe in him and asked for the forgiveness of there sins. Hebrews 1:9 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
and 2 Chronicles 19:1-2 1 When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD ? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. 3 There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.”
While 2cnd Chronicles show’s us that God will be compasionate, it does not mean you will be excused from the rath of the lord.
posted November 16, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I am glad to see people commenting on my response to Joan’s very thought-provoking question.
Kenneth,
Love and compassion are not necessarily synonymous. Jesus extends salvation to the man on the cross next to him out of love — not necessarily out of compassion. The man responds to Jesus with faith and that is why Jesus tells him “Surely this day I will see in paradise.” Yes, the man had done others harm, but the difference is that he wanted to change — those Jesus condemns in the passages I mentioned had no desire to change. Instead, they respond by wanting to kill Jesus.
Andy Joe,
Thanks for bringing up the verse you mentioned. Praying for those who persecute you and having compassion upon their actions are (like the above example) not synonymous. You can love and pray for someone who persecutes you, but compassion involves seeing the world they do (being in their shoes). Jesus never recommends this.
–John
posted November 19, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Love devoid of compassion is strange notion… If we are to be so precise that we’re distinguishing between those concepts, then inferring Jesus withheld his compassion from those he had harsh words for is a much greater stretch.
Perhaps I should have been less parsimonious when citing Matthew. A longer quote might have served the discussion better.
Matt 5:43-46: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [CAPS added]
If compassion is apparent in someone’s deeds, as Mr. Barry suggests (“…Jesus would not be compassionate on those causing other people harm…”), then “do good to them that hate you” makes clear that even those who hate you deserve compassion.
Thinking compassionately simply leads to greater understanding. What’s dangerous about that? Attempting to understand another’s point-of-view, even those who offend you or do you harm, DOES NOT prevent you from evaluating that person’s actions and responding appropriately.
The idea that compassion leads to passivity is a fear of Mr. Barry and Mr. Cutlip; it’s not a concern expressed by Jesus, and it hardly seems like sufficient evidence to conclude that Jesus would shun A Charter for Compassion.
posted November 28, 2009 at 1:04 am
Well, I will comment on the good samaritan passage. When the man saw the other man on the side of the road did he try to determine if this man was deserving of his compassion or not? No he did not. He saw, he felt and put it into action. That is all. With what measure you use will be measured unto you. Blessings. Also I feel we shouldn’t always expect things for ourselves for doing good for someone else. If it is genuine then it is for our father in heaven to decide. He knows if we have a motive or if what we do is for self or if it is a pureness he has instilled shining through. Not to us but to his name be the glory and Amen.
posted November 30, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Andy Joe,
In my opinion, it is easier (and less scary) to be compassionate. Confronting someone is the difficult thing.
Thanks for your comment.
My response is not driven out of fear — despite what you may think.
When I read Jesus’ words against those harming others, I have a hard time believing he was compassionate towards them. (Check out my original post to see what I mean by this.) Jesus was angry with those hurting others.
Also, my division between love and compassion is not my own — it is based on the actual words in the Greek (love and compassion have different semantic ranges, just like in our language; but love and compassion are perhaps even more distinct in Greek). Indeed, the passage you point out should be considered when evaluating what Jesus thought and felt, but the ones I have addressed (in my original post) I think are even more telling. As I pointed out in my post, when Jesus is faced with what the merchants in the temple are doing, he doesn’t say, “Let’s go have a cup of tea so I can see things from your point of view” (the compassion response). He throws over the tables. Does Jesus still love them? Yes. He died for them and everyone else on the cross (John 3:16). Is he compassionate towards them (does he see things from their point of view)? No. Why? Because their perspective is skewed. Thus, I maintain my original distinction, love and compassion are not synonymous. At least not for Jesus.
By all means, we should love all people — as you point out. But compassion is another issue. Seeing the world as Jesus did means acknowledging that we (like him) have to be a bit abrasive sometimes. That’s the scary thing. That takes even more courage than compassion.
–John
posted December 1, 2009 at 9:42 am
I wonder if Charter for Compassion follow Jesus or if they have their own ideas?
We cannot solve the world of mankind in all it’s differences, we are not God, but we can follow Jesus teachings to get closer to a peaceful world and be closer to a Godly righteousness, starting from within and learn from HIS teachings such of love and goodness.
Jesus is the way, just as scripture says it!… his ways are perfect and clean whereas we are not BUT it’s through his living spirit that we can be influenced to do the right things and be cleansed… lose his living supernatural spirit and one is left with religion & rules and the mess of mankind… Jesus teachings and his spirit within us is the way out of mankind’s mess
“This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” 1 John 5:6
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” John 14:17
As followers of christ Jesus, this does not mean we need to follow our own spirit or emotions but that of Jesus spirit within us
God being one god is true but as the scripture says “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 This means there is only one way to God and that is through Christ Jesus, I wonder if Charter of Compassion have an agenda to teach this to others or perhaps they have their own beliefs?
QUESTIONS A JESUS FOLLOWER SHOULD CONSIDER…
Does charter for Compassion or any other organisation lead people into truth & salvation through Jesus?
We are all able to involve ourselves in good acts but the concern for me (a follower of Jesus) is, does this good act take anything away from God/Jesus? No matter how sugarcoated and good something may appear it doesn’t mean it’s the way and the truth!
“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:” 1 John 4:2
If they are following Jesus, why don’t they give glory to his name?
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” Isaiah 42:8
Here is what Jesus has to say about this…
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
Why be double minded when we can be single minded in Jesus and truth, I personally wish to follow his spirit as it shows me truth directly in my heart and teaches me from right and wrong and helps me to work on myself from the goodness of God. If we follow Christ and not our own ways we shall reach our potential in promoting peace on earth, good will to men so why look elsewhere?
Lord I pray that all those lost from you shall seek and find the light and the way so we may reach our potential in bringing God’s peace on earth as it is in heaven, Amen.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
posted December 2, 2009 at 12:09 am
Wow I must be so tired I only wish I could edit some of what I’ve said
I WISH TO APOLOGISE TO JESUS AND ALL THOSE WHO HAE READ MY COMMENT… I had no right in using the words “Here is what Jesus has to say about this” I am not Jesus and I really don’t know what he would say but what I meant to say was these are the things he’s said as in scripture and that’s really what comes to my mind
I like the idea of the charter of compassion but I want to follow Jesus, saying that we must not be judgmental against others but be readily showing love and compassion however, I’m struggling at the depths of this issue and have no solid conclusion as of yet.
posted January 3, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Mr. Barry contends that visible anger is evidence of a lack of internal compassion. This is something Mr. Barry infers, not idea confirmed by scripture.
If I wrongly categorized anyone’s remarks as fear-based, I apologize. When compassion was referred to as a “dangerous” concept, I assumed the writers were afraid of something that was dangerous.
posted January 4, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Andy Joe,
Dividing the range of human emotions can indeed be tricky, as you point out. Excellent point in this regard. I still maintain my position, though, that Jesus’ responses in the passages I addressed do not appear to be driven out of compassion. I also maintain my position that a Charter for Compassion can be a dangerous thing when misused. (Again, see my above comments in this regard.)
All biblical interpretation is an inference. Your view is just as much an inference as mine. So we are in the same boat in this regard.
Most of the time, the Bible leaves us to merely postulate about the emotions involved in any given story. The only thing we can know is what Scripture tells us: Jesus was compassionate, but also angry with those doing harm to others. His anger does not appear to be driven out of compassion. And I personally have never seen anger and compassion go hand in hand, but then again, I am not Jesus (maybe he could be angry and compassionate at the same time). I still think, though, that this solution is less probable than the one I first presented.
Thanks for your feedback.
–John