Compassion is What Makes Us Human

It is not “excelling” but “serving” that makes us most human.– Henri Nouwen

This week in Luke, we see Jesus telling us how to imitate him and be living witnesses to our faith through the story of the Good Samaritan. Very often, all of us are in a hurry to complete our tasks and fulfill our obligations. Likewise, the characters in the story- the victim, priest, Levite and the Samaritan were all on the way to their work and life. Unfortunately, one fell prey to some bandits and was left half-dead. The priest and the Levite saw the wounded man and went on with their tasks and duty but a Samaritan who also had his own obligations stopped to care for the broken and injured.

Does it sound familiar? How many times in our lives would we have continued with our own tasks and ignored a fellow human being in need because we had other important matters to handle? It could be at home, in the office or even in church.

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 10:29-37

Henri Nouwen explains that our usual response of neigbour is :

“all the people I am living with on this earth, especially the sick, the hungry, the dying, and all who are in need.”

“The neighbor, Jesus makes clear, is not the poor man laying on the side of the street, stripped, beaten, and half dead, but the Samaritan who crossed the road, “bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, … lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him.” My neighbor is the one who crosses the road for me!”

In explaining the Gospel, Fr. Dom said we need to be compassionate. We need to show a little kindness to those around us. He said that the hearts of the Levite and priests were hardened as they were so focused on sacrifices. The Samaritan on the other hand was merciful. God does not want sacrifice but rather mercy.

Henri Nouwen explains that compassion is what makes us human.

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”