Thought for the Day - Saturday 19 September

Thought for the Day – Saturday 19^th September

‘On some have compassion, making a difference.’(Jude v 22)

 

If there is one thing that should characterise our lives as Christians surely it is that we try and make a difference.

During this time of Covid-19 so many people have indeed had great compassion on others – be that by keeping in touch with them; shopping for them; collecting prescriptions for them; sharing baking and food and flowers; taking time to just listen and so much more and each compassionate act has been making a difference.

Many have realised that actually, ‘making a difference’ needn’t take too much effort – sometimes it can be just a word here and there, praying for someone, or one of these compassionate acts listed above but what a difference the result of any of these can make to lives.

‘Making a difference’ is not just confined to here though in our own communities and country, for recently, at the launch of a new report by Christian Aid warning of deeper inequality arising in the wake of this global pandemic we are in, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland was encouraging us as Christians to ‘make a difference’ to the poorest people of the world – some of whom will I know actually be in our communities and some in other countries. In such cases, ‘making a difference’ can often be just being the voice of the voiceless and bringing to light the inequalities of their lives and encouraging those in power to do something about those inequalities.

Of course, a huge part of ‘making a difference’ has to be having compassion on and for others and compassion can be so powerful in ‘making a difference’.

Indeed, I love the way Ron Ferguson spoke of compassion in his article in Life and Work this month – I think it says it all:

A compassion which knows no boundaries, as Jesus knew, is the most revolutionary force in the world.

So let’s be compassionate and bring about a revolution for that will surely be us ‘making a difference’ to those around us and to God’s world.

 

Prayer

Loving Lord,

You know us, you love us, you call us and you free us to be your hands and feet in the world. Lord, as we follow you bless us, give us a compassionate heart and help us in all we do to make a difference in your world, to be the voice of the voiceless, to speak out against inequality, to be a revolutionary force. May your spirit be with us and guide us in all we do and in our everyday living. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.