By your fruits…
Course – Week 5 – Compassion
One harsh winter on the edge of the Yorkshire Pennines there was a particularly heavy fall of snow during the day. Commuters going home from work were hit hard and found their journeys very hard if not impossible.
My father who worked at the bottom of a hill was out helping as much as he could, so too was one of the clergy from the local church. It was soon clear that one car they were attempting to move simply could not go any further and so the driver got out to walk the 5 miles that remained of his journey. The clergyman took off his wellingtons and gave them to the car driver for use on his journey home.
An act of compassion indeed, and it had repercussions. My father who saw the act said later
“right there I saw that there was something in this God thing.”
Although he didn’t become a saint overnight, it certainly altered his life view.
Jesus said:
“What you do for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 25v40)
He also said:
“By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matt 7v16)
In the current pandemic, we’re seeing lots of people who are ‘going above and beyond’ whether that be in their keyworker role or as a volunteer in their community, workplace, or elsewhere. They are certainly obvious by their fruits, but the question remains:
Will we all do the same when the crisis is over and life returns to being more normal?
Could you have given your wellingtons away?
What is the greatest act of compassion you’ve ever received?
What effect did it have on you and those who knew about it?
