April 22nd, 2019

April 22, 2019
 
          COMPASSION
A man in pain, hanging there
Close to heaven but closer to hell,
Bearing His own humanity
And all our human wrongs as well.
 
In His eyes are sorrow and more –
Compassion for those who stand below –
And in His heart more of loneliness
Than even God should have to know.
 
He dies – quickly is hidden away;
Only a few even know the place.
His mother mourns, and those who had seen
The tears of God upon His face.
 
At Easter dawn the tomb is bare,
And in the garden now He walks.
“’Though I am gone, I’m with you, too,”
He speaks love’s greatest paradox.
 
A world in pain, spinning here,
Full of those living in daily fear,
Bearing burdens of death and hurt
And needing His great comfort near.
 
“‘Though I am gone, I’m with you still,
For I’ve seen death – I know its touch.
I’ve looked down in loneliness upon
The world I loved so very much.”
 
As Easter dawn comes once again,
No tomb can hold a Lord who dies,
And we, in Easter joy and hope,
Still see compassion in His eyes.
 
            I have been sharing this poem during this Easter season, a poem I wrote while contemplating a painting called “Compassion” by artist Dena Roush, a close friend of my mother’s. I wanted to share it again in this blog because the subject matter has been on my mind as pertinent to this Easter season extending to Pentecost in June.
              Of all the qualities that Jesus displayed during His life on earth, compassion was foremost. He saw people as children of God in need of forgiveness and mercy but also in need of the God of Love to cure their afflictions, calm their fears, and rest their minds and souls. During His time the common people were seeing the very worst of the abuses of power and ambition. The Romans were in charge, and their domination of the world actually went to the extreme of declaring the “one true god” to be their emperor.
              Such a “god” had no compassion, as shown by the abuse of people by his soldiers, the extreme taxation which kept the poor poorer, and the brutality of such practices as crucifixion and “circuses” with people versus lions. No wonder the people of Judea flocked to listen to Jesus as He spoke of the importance of those who were meek, merciful, peacekeeping and “poor in spirit,” a term meaning humble and obedient. They needed His healing of spirit and mind as much as His physical healing.
              In the spirit of “pass it on,” may these days after Easter be a time when we imitate Him and find the compassion within ourselves and share it with others. Imagine a whole world of compassion – Jesus could!