Love One Another

Racism, sexism, hate, war. All of these have one thing in common. They are all the opposite of compassion. We see in the book of Luke the story of the good Samaritan. In the story, we see that having compassion for one another overcomes many things. And that’s something we need to hear in this society as well so we can stop all this hate by being more caring and loving towards each other.

In chapter 10 of Luke, it states, “Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance, a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here. “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy. Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same,” Luke 10:30-37. At this time Samaritans and Jews didn’t get along, There were many cases of racism among them. Yet we see in this story that through equality and compassion the Samaritan was able to overcome that and help a Jew out. Even the Priest and Temple assistant, his own people who were claimed to be righteous did not help him. They found no compassion for him and left him for dead. But the one who found compassion for him saved his life. Imagine how many people we can help and save, if only we show compassion?

Positive Psychology states, “Compassion is an essential element in society and is vital to the survival of the human race. Individuals and groups with power (i.e., police, policymakers, politicians, etc.) have an opportunity to contribute to more healthy, peaceful communities by practicing and promoting compassion. Serious societal problems (i.e., homelessness and recidivism) have been significantly reduced following compassionate, research-based interventions.” Compassion can help solve big problems such as homelessness. If all it takes is more compassion then what is stopping us other than our stubbornness? It’s vital for many of America's biggest cases that we show compassion for one another. Lack of compassion is what led to the killing of George Floyd. People having compassion is what led people to stand up for causes such as those. And we need more of it.

Even with our own family, we can resolve problems by showing compassion. In doing so we establish a foundation in the home which enables children to grow up showing kindness and compassion to those different from them as well. In a study, we see that compassion is one of the necessities when it comes to love. “Intellectually, it allows us to embrace another human’s suffering with an emotional bond of support. In this regard, it is coupled to attachment and a “love” link in all probability utilizing similar physiological and biochemical substrates for its manifestation, i.e., reward processes since it allows the giver a rewarding experience by extending oneself.” Through love, we are able to improve our relationships not just with our family, but in the long run, we can also improve relationships with others through them.

Compassion leads people to help, stand, and stay with others. From nursing some to health to holding hands in protest, we need more of it. Compassion has the power to move mountains (Isaiah 54:10). And if we can move mountains, we can move away from hate and embrace social change.

Works Cited:

“20 Reasons Why Compassion Is so Important in Psychology.” PositivePsychology.com, 23 May 2022, positivepsychology.com/why-is-compassion-important/#hero-single.

Esch, Tobias, and George B Stefano. “The Neurobiological Link between Compassion and Love.” Medical Science Monitor : International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, International Scientific Literature, Inc., 25 Feb. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3524717/.

“Luke 10: NLT Bible: Youversion.” NLT Bible | YouVersion, www.bible.com/bible/116/LUK.10.NLT.