Pastor's Weekly Word

 

I recently had the privilege of participating in two wonderful events. The first was a conversation panel at NorthPark Presbyterian Church on the book A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives. I know many of you have been reading the book and attending some of the conversations around Dallas. What made the evening powerful for me was the sharing of personal experiences around the challenge of being compassionate and showing compassion to others. Each person on the panel talked about how, at some point in their life, compassion became a conscious choice for them. They talked about how people in their lives influenced them and how, looking back, they could see that who they are today began to be formed early. It was clear, though, that somewhere along the way, they made the choice to embrace a life of compassion for others.

 

The other event was last night. Samira Page from Gateway of Grace asked me to offer one of the prayers in a service for refugees at Church of the Incarnation in Dallas. Pastors gathered from different denominations and Christian traditions, as well as many others who are part of Gateway's ministry. We prayed for God's intercession, guidance, and comfort. We asked God to help us remember that the biblical story is of a people in a foreign land who are welcomed home by the arms of grace. We recognized that the issue is a controversial one that should not be so for Christians, asking the Holy Spirit to help us all become more compassionate. "Give us compassion," we prayed.