Compassion

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty."
Matthew 5:43-46 MSG

Karen Armstrong describes compassion (aka The Golden Rule) as, “Treat others as you would like to be treated” and conversely, “Do not treat others as you would not like them to treat you.” Jesus communicates the same sentiment. We are to love everyone, including our “enemies”.

I pose a question: what if the “enemy” is yourself and the negative thoughts and feelings you have about and toward yourself? How can we give to others with authenticity what we don’t self-possess? How do you show compassion and love towards others when you are your own worst critic?

The building of The Kingdom begins with the relationship given by our Father and nurtured by the Holy Spirit. It begins by living out our God-created identity, which begins with “I” the child of God and flows into “we” the family of God. We must learn to love and be compassionate with ourselves so that we can learn to love and be compassionate to all.