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Fifth Stone: Compassion The greatest mystery Redemption in suffering For anything to live, something must die The Cross Integration "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:24) "the riches of glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you." (Colossians 1:27) "But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings . . . . If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you." (I Peter 4:13-14) Compassion is the most divine of all energies; the shepherd of being. If our very existence is coexistence, then it follows that the more we share in the life of our brothers and sisters, the more fully we live ourselves. To have compassion is to suffer with another and to do for another that which we would have done for ourselves in similar circumstances. Jesus taught his disciples that if they would have eternal life, then they must be willing to give up their restricted lives and be willing to live for, in, and through others. This is a mystery that goes against the grain and common sense of the world. Our human nature is to be self-protective and self-seeking, often at the expense of others. It takes great faith to be released from anxiety about one's own well-being in order to be wholly present for others. This is what Jesus was able to do by freely offering himself up to die so that we might know how to live. Parents can understand this sort of sacrifice when it comes to caring for their children, and soldiers experience similar feelings when they make a sacrifice of themselves to save others. To the extent we are able to make sacrifices for others, we become, like Christ, agents of redemption. We become Christ to others. The final goal of the spiritual journey is the union with God which Jesus speaks about in John 17:21. "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us." He also said, "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40) back to Stepping Stones |