Compassion

Compassion: a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering

This past week Dr. Matt Phillips spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Montgomery about “Victims, Heroes, and Bystanders”. One thing he said really stuck in my mind: “It takes no courage or character to be a bystander”.

Wow.

In the past two weeks, we’ve seen people with courage and character who refused to be bystanders when their fellow Americans were suffering in the aftermath of hurricanes and floods. These people were moved with compassion. They had the desire to do for someone else what that person could not, at that moment, do alone. These are the pictures I want to remember: people being rescued from their flooded homes by men who brought their fishing boats from other towns and even other states; young people passing out water and supplies they gathered from their schools and churches; women wearing paper masks helping families haul flood-soaked possessions to the curbs; volunteers in animal shelters in other towns taking in people’s pets.

This is the real us - not the ones on the news, but the ones in the neighborhoods. Working together, crying together, toughing out the challenging times together.

There is a storm going on right here in Montgomery. Dozens of women every week are being swept into a sea of life-long regret after seeking abortions because they could not see any other way out of their situations.

There is a need for compassion on South Perry Street. Women are flooded with emotions, clinging to the belief that an abortion will make their situation better. Who will come to them in compassion and say, “We can help you; let us share a better way”? And if they do choose to abort, who will come to them with compassion and say, “We know the One who can help you; let Him heal your hurting heart”?

Compassion has been highlighted this past week, but the need doesn’t end when the hurricanes pass. We need to brave the storm with courage and character and take the truth to the women who are struggling with the temptation to give up and give in.

Come brave the storm with us.