Growing Compassion

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In the wake of Black Friday and Cyber Monday today is Giving Tuesday. I’ve received several e-mail requests for donations from a wide range of organizations over the last several days in anticipation of today. The Giving Tuesday movement seeks to counteract our materialistic culture and the need to risk life and limb to get that better deal.

Giving Tuesday is about stewardship and personal priorities. It is also about compassion, something that seems to be lacking all too often these days in political and other spheres. We hear far more about the need to exclude, to be suspicious of others, and to protect ourselves and our interests rather than to reach out, to listen and to care about someone else different from us. I preached this past Sunday about Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), a dire warning about what could happen to us if we don’t share with those we might rather avoid and if we don’t show compassion to the stranger and those in need.

Sadly, it is definitely counter-cultural to show compassion. But it is part of our calling as followers of Christ, even when it might make us a bit uncomfortable or inconvenience us. In the book Growing Compassionate Kids ((c) 2001 Upper Room Books), Jan Johnson does a wonderful job of suggesting how we can live out Jesus’ teaching and nurture faith in ways that are meaningful and realistic for young people. There are other great resources out there as well that give practical ideas for encouraging compassion. Here are some ideas to start:

  1. start with scripture that is accessible to children and youth, such as the story of the Good Samaritan - talk about how we can be good neighbours, how it would feel to be the different characters in the story, the difference the Samaritan made

  2. google “children’s books compassion” and a list of websites appears - sometimes we connect best through story and hearing about other people’s realities in books so share some of these great stories and talk about them together

  3. look to role models of young people who are making a difference and why they chose the path they are on, Craig Kielburger of MetoWe and Malala Yousafzai being great examples - check out their websites and find inspiration in their work

  4. talk to people in your congregation serving in your mission and outreach ministries and try to arrange a visit with them to share about why they do what they do - talk together about how your child and youth program groups can support the projects they are involved with

  5. brainstorm the needs that your kids and youth notice in their neighbourhoods, at school and at church - who do they see struggling? what practical things could they do to help? even offering to be a friend could greatly impact a life and bring hope

  6. talk about stewardship and sharing what we have with others - I saw on facebook a reverse Advent calendar where, instead of opening a window and getting a chocolate each day you put an item in a box to donate at the end (again, google Advent giving calendar and a host of ideas pop up)

  7. as we get closer to Christmas, we can talk about how Jesus was a refugee - find out about your denomination’s projects for international development and support of people in need around the world and consider ways of helping - many denominations have a gift guide for buying things like a goat for a family or school supplies for a community - consider this as a quick project

I’ve barely scratched the surface here, but know that no matter how small your Sunday school or mid-week group, those who are there can make a difference and their lives as well as the lives of others can be changed. When we grow a more compassionate society, everyone benefits. When the focus of Advent is less on us and more on others and preparing for the One who came among us to serve, then we can become more ready for the Christ Child.

Blessings to you as you start to prepare the way for God-with-us.