March 3rd Compassion wins

 From a soft heart, compassion wins.

For starters, when we see with our heart we don't give in to fear, or judgment, or alarm, or dismissal.

We do live in a world where it is tempting (and easy) to put people in a “box”—with labels to match.

One thing Jesus did with his parables, and “encounters” with the people around him, was to invite honesty about our paradigm. What kind of lens (glasses, or paradigm) do we use, to see the world, and the people in it?

And in his parables, he always invites a paradigm shift.

Let us choose empathy over judgment.

Let us choose understanding over dismissal.

Let us choose compassion over retaliation.

Let us choose inclusion over marginalization.

When I see only the label, or the box, it is easy to judge, or dismiss, or devalue.

With great irony, this itch to judge comes to life from our own fear of vulnerability.

The vulnerability alive and well in a soft heart. And this we know my friends, having a soft heart in a cruel world is courageous.

I love crayons. As a young boy, I always hoped that a Crayola box of 64 would be under the Christmas tree. Maybe you can relate?

Here’s the deal: We are like crayons. I may not be your favorite color, and you may not favor the hues of others. But one day, we'll find that we need each other to complete the masterpiece. For it is in the blending of differences and distinctiveness that the most beautiful pictures are painted. And together, we create a story far greater than any single color could tell. Sabbath Moments