Shepherding Compassion

Made Flesh

I am an introvert, and those who know me have seen how difficult it is for me to interact with large groups of people. This is a bit of an issue at times because I love teaching and facilitating discussions. Seeing people challenge their ideas and ask questions brings a smile to my face. However, when I am done teaching, I feel extremely tired. I need to retreat to my room, be in silence, and recharge my social batteries. Sometimes, it can take me days to recover my energy.

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to lead a group of young leaders through a historical tour of Guatemala. At the end of our time, I was completely drained. I felt as if I needed to disappear to find myself again. That’s why, when I read the text for this week, I sympathize with Jesus. I can imagine his tiredness, the need to withdraw, and the desire for space to talk with his disciples. I almost feel his need for solitude.

When I read the text and see that the crowd follows him to the deserted area, I get angry at the crowd. Can’t they wait a little longer for their miracles? As I continue reading, I am surprised by Jesus’ response. I’d be annoyed if people didn’t let me unplug and rest. Yet, he had compassion on them.

What strikes me is how Jesus “sees” the crowd in a way that calls forth abundance in him and his disciples. When they think their resources are exhausted, compassion leads them to keep sharing the good news of the Kingdom. The text says the crowd were like “sheep without a shepherd.” That’s a daunting image. Sheep without a shepherd were to be slaughtered at the temple. But Jesus sees them with compassion, not with sacrificial eyes. His insides move, he feels uncomfortable, and instead of dismissing them, “he began teaching them many things.” Instead of getting annoyed at the crowd, his compassion moved him to action.

As the story continues, his compassion draws more people in. The text tells us that people “ran through the whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.” I wonder, however, was it his compassion that drew them in, or was it their desperation?

I think it’s a bit of both. People carry the sick. They are bringing those who are excluded from society, the expendables, the sacrificeable, the lost sheep. Interestingly, if sheep find themselves without a flock and a shepherd, they do not thrive. They become easy prey for predators. Jesus’ compassion removed the scapegoats from their context. They were not sacrificeable anymore, for they had found a Shepherd.

I know that I am not Jesus. That is why I wonder, how can I let compassion for the most vulnerable guide my actions? How can I participate in the liturgy of abundance in a way that allows God to reveal Godself in the faces of the crowd, the most vulnerable? Perhaps, it is not just the crowd. Maybe it’s the neighbor that I find annoying sometimes, the relative that I dread talking to, or the friend whom I don’t trust anymore because of his political views.

Dwelling Among Us

Who is the Spirit inviting you to have compassion for? How do you feel when you think about that person or group?