Let your compassion show
As Jesus carried His cross to Calvary, He endured unimaginable physical and emotional suffering. He had been brutally beaten and mocked. He was forced to bear the weight of the cross in the presence of hostile crowds. Emotionally, He felt the pain of betrayal and the loneliness of walking this path by Himself. It was a combination of suffering and humiliation.
Yet, amid this agonizing scene came a profound act of compassion. A woman, Veronica, approached Jesus on the road. Without hesitation, she removed the veil from her head and used it to wipe the blood and the sweat off Jesus’ face. It was a gesture of kindness that stood out in a series of terrible events.
Veronica was compelled by compassion. She was attentively compassionate. It didn’t take heroics or theatrics to show tender-heartedness. Simply wiping the face of Jesus, perhaps making Him a little more comfortable, was all it took.
Maybe we can learn something from Veronica. We don’t have to give away all we have to show compassion. We can merely give our best to someone else. It could be as easy as sharing a smile with someone in the grocery store, or allowing another car to merge into traffic. It can be as uncomplicated as visiting a sick relative, or giving a hug to a hurting friend. Acts of compassion can be as simple as they are powerful.
This Lent, employ your power for compassion. Use it to heal, to reconcile and to bring about peace. If to be a Christian is to put on Christ, then to be a Christian is to clothe yourself in Christ’s compassion.
We can follow Veronica’s example and seek out chances to extend kindness and empathy to those around us, especially in the midst of suffering and hardship. In doing so, we embody the love and compassion of Christ, bringing light into a world often filled with darkness.