Compassion

When I was jogging yesterday, I was reminded of the bible story where Jesus said 

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” - Luke 7:47 (NIV)

I never really understood this verse. 

“Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

“Her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown.”

It only hit me yesterday that this verse is talking about compassion.

Is about knowing how to walk in other’s shoes.

It is about being able to image ourselves in their position instead of our own and try to understand how they feel.

Compassion.

If we’ve never been through rejection, we will never understand how it feels like to be rejected.

If we’ve never been through sarcasm, we will never understand how bad it hurts.

If we’ve never been through heartbreaks, we will never understand how painful it feels.

Compassion.

When I see people fighting for their right, I have compassion for them. Because I know how it feels like to have the world against who you are and what you believe.

When I see people being judged and condemned for their thoughts, ideas or even theology, I have compassion for them. Because I too know what is like to be judged and condemned just because I think a little different from the mainstream.

Compassion.

If I’ve not been through all that myself, I would not understand and sadly, I will join in by judging and condemning them for being different.

But because I know I am different and I hope people will accept my quirkiness, I too know how to accept our indifference where they do not accept my differences.

I don’t know if this makes any sense or not. But here’s my story.

Once upon a time, I was this girl burning and on fire for God. God was shaping my thinking and ideas about Him and it was nothing but a roller coaster ride. 

God kept reminding and reinforcing the idea that with Him is all about relationships. And when it comes to relationships, it is not rigid, because it is relationships.

So when people around me was debating whether or not we can go to heaven, whether or not 40 days fast must be 40 days fast, I was eager, super duper eager to tell them what’s my view and shove it down their throat. But God stopped me. If I think I know Him entirely, then who is God? Him or me?

Relationships. It is different for everyone of us. The way God relates to me is different from the way He relates to others. So if something is true for me, it might not be true to others. Therefore, I listen.

And the worst part is? Whenever I share my thoughts, people thinks that I am crazy. They looked at me as if I’m a weirdo and question me.

Through that, I learned to accept the fact that when I am different and hope that others can accept my differences, I too need to accept that they are different from me and they couldn’t accept my quirkiness. 

Because I want, so I know, thus I do.

I don’t go judging and commenting about others just because they do not think the same as I because, to them, I am the one who is having difference thoughts and I am the weird one.

Because I know how it feels like to be the weird one, therefore, I do not what to let others have the same feeling.

Compassion.

Because I’ve been the recipient of condemnation and judgement, I know not to do it even to those who did it to me.

Compassion.