Do we smell of compassion wherever we go? This aroma met Moses as he pleaded on behalf of the guilty Israelites in front of the righteous God. Moses was about to learn just how glorious, gracious, and merciful the name Yahweh should be to all of us. With Called to …
Hurry is the enemy of mercy and busy–ness is the barrier to compassion But we all want to be compassionate, right? None of you are reading this saying, “I really don’t want to be merciful and kind.” Nevertheless, if it is the case that we want to be compassionate, why …
Weeping Lovers In a class lecture about Christian compassion, Calvin Miller once pronounced that “We all die either bitter cynics or weeping lovers.” After pausing for effect, he then adjured us: “Be a weeping lover.” To further explain, Miller, with watery eyes, urged us: “Let humanity’s hurt move you to …
Jesus Smelled Like Compassion Too It should come as no surprise that Jesus also smelled like compassion. Just as Yahweh passes by Moses in Exodus 34, Christ passes by the two blind men in Matthew 9. As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, …
What’s that Smell? Not only does God stress his compassion and mercy by placing it first on the virtue list he proclaims at the very time Israel has committed apostasy, but— according to John Calvin—Yahweh also underlines it by declaring his divine name twice before listing these chief characteristics. Calvin …
Years ago, I came home to find my six–year–old son weeping on the couch. I began to console him and asked what happened. Through tears he said: “I was playing outside and got stung by a bee.” I said, “Oh buddy, I’m sorry. Is it still hurting?” To which he …
“Although our ultimate problem is bigger than we could have ever imagined, we need to recognize, secondly, that the victory of Jesus for us was greater still. ” —Ian J. Vaillancourt
