Why? Compassion

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.  They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again, he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” John 8:2-11

My 14-year-old daughter Emme has a very soft and compassionate heart.  I think she was born with it, as I do not think that my husband, Michael, or I can reasonably claim credit. (Ok, maybe Michael can).  Emme will not kill a bug – not even a mosquito – and picks up trash on walks to bring home for recycling. When she was in elementary school, she would often come home to tell me about sitting with a lonely friend at lunch or talking with someone who was sad.

In fourth grade, there was a girl in her class that was acting mean and Emme didn’t know how to handle it.  After several weeks of worrying and being bothered by this,  Emme decided that being really nice to her was the best way to handle it, “because she obviously just needed someone to be nice to her.”  Believe it or not, her strategy worked and the two girls became friends.

I have tried to learn from my daughters during moments like these. Sometimes, my hardest moments are in traffic when someone cuts me off with their favorite finger or honks because I paused a moment too long at the light.  The adrenaline shoots way up to my eyebrows and I feel so insulted. So, I started trying to offer a wave and smile, and at first it was not a kind grin.  But my smile has become much more genuine.  Because maybe that driver just needs someone to be nice to them that day.  Drivers in traffic may not even notice my smile, but it has changed me.   My motivation was to offer kindness to others, but I am the one who was changed.  Sometimes I even smile at my husband for no reason at all.

 In his book “The Question that Never Goes Away,” Phillip Yancey writes, “If we are upset about the condition of this planet, I can only imagine how God feels.”  I am certain that God grieves when we do.  However, I am also certain that God would smile at us in traffic.

Lord, Make me more like you.  Everyday, make me more and more like you.  Amen. 

This devotion is written by Patty Forsberg, coordinator of the Sheridan Writing Team. 

If you are interested in joining the writing team, email Patty at p.forsberg@sheridanlutheran.org.

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