Discuss: 1) How does this definition of poverty change your view of those in need? 2) What is your reaction when you encounter situations of injustice? 3) Where have you experienced the compassion of God in your life? 4) Where have you experienced the compassion of others? Where have you experienced a lack of it? 5) Write a prayer expressing your feelings about poverty—yours and others—as well as your desire for a lifestyle of compassion.
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It’s a good reminder that even with acts of kindness or generosity, if our heart is in the wrong place, it can be sinful rather than being Christ-like.
Sometimes I can have a blase attitude in the sense of thinking that this is a sinful world and so bad stuff happens and sometimes we can’t control it. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all the bad things in the world and that my actions can’t change it, so why bother? Probably not a good stance to take…
When I had a miscarriage, (although I’m still not sure if it was technically considered one because it was super early and so sometimes I feel weird for calling it that) my cousins showed compassion and really came to my aid to support me, even thought I wanted to suffer and grieve on my own.
Lord, I pray that you fill me with compassion for others. Purify my heart to be more like you in acts of service. I pray that you help make my life more fruitful for your glory.
(from Charlie)
What I get from today take on poverty is that all of us are impoverished in someway and when we helping is mutually beneficial and in that sense it’s ok to feel accomplish as long as you don’t let that cause you to feel superior. I constantly question my own motives when doing anything that some time it takes all the joy out of doing good deeds. If I feel too much joy then I question why I did something and if what I did was purely out of a true desire to give. I also avoid getting anything in return because I don’t want it to be transactional. But I think my thinking about it is wrong. It is ok to get as well as give and if the getting is joy then that’s repayment enough beyond the gift.
I always try to see the truth behind all circumstances and don’t act until I’m sure. I think part of my hesitation is a cowardly tendency – not wanting to be entangled into messy problems. Throwing money into a problem is easy…empathizing is also easy…getting actively involved in family issues, I’m there! But getting involved outside my immediate circle is something I avoid.
We’ve shared so many times about how God saved me, I don’t think we need to discuss it more.
My wife, family and friends have all helped me at different times in the past. I still tend to be a loner and don’t accept help easily. I recently am more open to God’s grace and help and my dependence on Him grows but I still tend to rely on myself more than on others in the earthly realm.
I’m spiritually impoverished Lord as are all of us human. I have been confused about charity and trying to give “properly” that I find little joy in the giving. Thank you Lord for showing me my error and I understand now that feeling joy in giving is not prideful and receiving is as important as giving and it’s ok to receive earnest thanks.
(Dylan)
It changes my view on those in need by expanding my understanding of those marginalized groups. I realized that helping those in need means them also giving us in need. The concept of helping those in need is often interpreted as giving a helping hand with nothing in return. However, that is clearly not the case as Dean put it. I’ve experienced compassion in my life when I experienced pain from health problems or pain from arguments I’ve had. God has taught me so much about myself and how I can understand more people around me. I realized that I will continue to have friends who want to help me with my problems if I have any. I’ve experienced a lack of compassion mainly because of my doing. I’ve made many mistakes and I can learn from them. I pray that impoverished people somehow are shown more compassion because of their lack of circumstance and fortune.
I think it changes it from rather than seeing it as a material view with status in society there is a spiritual aspect to it as well. The way I react to systems of injustice is that it definitely makes me angry and mad to think that something like that has happened but at the same time I’m quick to judge the situation so I know I need more patience. I’ve seen compassion of Gods love from the many times I’ve sinned but he has still shown me grace and his love. I think it in others when they are willing to be patient with me.
Celeste
1) How does the definition of poverty in the reading change your view of those in need?
We are all poor in many ways, not just materially but mentally . Powerlessness , shameful, worthless. Psychologically and fundamentally poor.
2) What is your reaction when you encounter situations of injustice?
Frustrating, angry, and at times sad.
3) Where have you experienced the compassion of God in your life?
Everyday when I wake up with another day clean, still a roof over my head, a car, that’s gods compassion and love for me. I have everything I need.
4) Where have you experienced the compassion of others?
The fellowship of NA and Christine bringing me to my first church service at RP. My spiritual sisters.
Where have you experienced a lack of it?
With my “intimate love” relationship. I pray on this relationship daily.
5) Write a prayer expressing your feelings about poverty—yours and others—as well as your desire for a lifestyle of compassion.
God, please open my heart up so I can be more like you, you’ve shown me what compassion and understanding is to me. Let me work hard on this daily and be guided by the Holy Spirit in this department. At times I fail to see the poor as being psychologically poor but I now see that I am like them, feeling shameful, worthless and powerless. I pray that my desire to live a life of compassion and understanding will never leave me. In Jesus name, Amen.
1) this definition of poverty isn’t so much material but relational, making it more relatable.
2) initially I get angry and at the same time, powerless to make any lasting change.
3) I’ve experienced the compassion of God in my life in times when I hurt others closest to he and needed help to clean up the pieces.
4) Lack of compassion came at times of loss like the death of my father, when some people who I thought would show up, didn’t.
5) “Lord Jesus, you became poor that I might be heir to all the riches of heaven. I was wretched and lost in my sin when you found me. Make my heart teachable and soft to give and receive from those you would have me minister to.”
1. I think that the definition of poverty in this reading changes my view on how I should respond to those who are in need. For the longest time, I treated poor people as those who lack money and food, but all they want is peace. Knowing the definition of poverty encourages me to preach the Gospel more because these people living in poverty don’t have a relationship with anyone but the Gospel will show them that God is their Father and they are His children.
2. When I encounter situations of injustice, I get frustrated and angry, but sometimes I don’t really act out on it.
3,4. I have experienced the compassion of God and others through Cru. For the longest time, I have been struggling on how to deal with my emotions and I didn’t really know how to embrace them, but by the grace of God, He has shown His compassion to me through Brandt and Diesel’s leadership in mentoring me with embracing my emotions, and I’ve felt compassion by people for the first time when I joined Cru. I have experienced a lack of compassion whenever I am going through something terrible, and nobody seems to care about what I feel.
5. Dear God, it’s hard to have compassion for others. Whenever I have compassion on someone, I get scared because I’m afraid that my compassion won’t do anything. Help me to have the courage to show compassion to people who don’t have peace, who are suffering in broken families, and who are broken in spirit. You taught that poverty wasn’t about the lack of materials but a lack of piece, a lack of relationship, and a lack of comfort. Help me to show compassion to these people even if it gets kinda awkward. I pray all these things in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The definition of poverty is reaffirmed in that we shouldn’t just see it as places to “save” and added the idea that we need to be open about what God will teach us for those we help. My reaction when I encounter situations of injustice is typically to interalize and pray about it or talk with others about it. I’ve experienced the compassion of God in my life through those who have been there for me like my close friends and family during difficult times and also from God through those He’s placed in my life. God, I pray that I have a lifestyle of compassion and service towards others, but also openness to learn from these experiences.
Poverty when moved from the material sense to a mindset becomes a mirror of not just myself but of the collective. This can now be construed as seeing not just individuals stricken by a lack of the material, but a whole that is broken in terms of the spiritual. We are broken individuals, regardless of material wealth or lack thereof. For myself, I was and still am broken, but the moment I wanted a relationship with Christ was when my eyes were open to that perspective and I realize that the lacking in my life was a poverty of fulfillment. And this perspective is extended beyond just myself as I see people scramble to fill that hole with anything whether it be money or relationships or achievements. In that sense, we are all in poverty trying to work our way out of that hole.
Acts of injustice, I’ll be honest, are something I have trouble acting on. This is because I’ve seen countless times where justice is neither doled out nor brought to fruition. Rarely is it ever done right so the constant injustice I witness has numbed me and I resign myself to apathy. I wish I could share a passion or a desire to take initiation to help, but I also can’t help shake off feelings of doubt or skepticism.
As uncompassionate as my last response was, I have encountered compassion from God for the mistakes I’ve made. It’s a miracle that I’ve managed to make it this far in life when I’ve been humbled by my own actions countless times. I’ve even tried to resign myself to being alone at times but God still manages to tug at my heartstrings to make an effort in my life and actually want to experience life, so I’m thankful for that. I guess this ties in to the next question as I have felt God use the people in my life as a sort of conduit for bringing me back into the fold. From them I’ve felt compassion. I’ve also felt a lack thereof when I try sharing something personal and it kind of gets swept up in the conversation.
My prayer tonight is a reflection on what I’ve shared about my personal experience with compassion and injustice. I’m praying for a heart for it but I also want to act it as I’ve seen acted out for me from individuals and from God.
The definition of poverty in the reading challenged me to change my view of people in need. I have found that poverty is a situation of just not having enough supplies. When I encounter situations of injustice, my response is to feel anger and sadness in my heart. I have experienced a lot of God’s compassion in my life through this community. I have recently experienced the compassion of others. When I forgot my iPad at the school gym, a kind man held it for me until I cane back. He asked me if I had forgotten it. Dear God, I want to get to the point where I can have compassion for the poor. I pray that your kindness will change me.