Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life

The not too well known poet Yosano Akiko wrote, "This one thing will I ask you: Are you with the people or apart from them? Depending on your answer, you and I will be forever divided between heaven and earth." This is the heart of Compassion. Nouwen and his co-authors argue that it is only genuine compassion, the ability to go outside of one's self in love for the other, that we find the meaning of God's love in Christ. It speaks directly to the heart of the Gospel, an incarnate faith in a life of compassion. Christ is known in "the least of these," in the person who is next to you now, on the bus, in the office, at your home. This is one of the books that I would really like to recommend to any Christian, regardless of their interests in theology or spirituality.Centered around the self-emptying, kenotic love of God in Christ, the book reminds us that Christianity is not a dogma, or a rule, or some system, but rather a Person. The authors use St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, 2:6-11, as the scriptural touchstone of the book. "In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus..." Dogmas and theologies are footnotes, Nouwen suggests, to the reality of the crucified and risen Christ as experienced by the disciples and his followers. They are essential, but they are not the "thing" in itself. To come to know the meaning of our lives, our creation, we must enter into the love of God directly through compassion.Anyone in the field of social services would benefit from this book immensely. Sometimes we loose sight of the value and meaning of our lives. This book is an antidote. This insightful work is divided into three parts. 1) The Compassionate God- examining the nature and mission of Christ and what he tells us about the Father. 2) The Compassionate Life- the roles and meaning behind community, displacement and togetherness. 3) The Compassionate Way- Patience, Prayer and Action.Each chapter stands alone and can be profitably used in group studies or for personal reflection.One of my favorite books! I wish I could give it to you! Enjoy!

This book is one of the most important How-To books ever. There are a lot of books out there offering to make us feel better, or to solve our various problems and anxious concerns, but few books give us concrete ways to give back of all that we've been given in our lives. This book simply, powerfully, intelligently, and at times, overwhelmingly, shows us how to relate the service and compassion of Jesus' life, and the love, patience, and generosity of God, to our own lives and the world around us. It answers the question of our human purpose in the world, and it suggests a way of being in this world that supports and encourages others and fulfills the will of God. This book teaches us how to serve God by daily and humbly serving man. This book is all about love. I know I will read and reread this book for the rest of my life. It is that essential and full of truth. And it is that challenging.

I know that's a big claim, but the fact is that it did. At the time that I read this book, I was frustrated with God, Jesus, the church and anything that had an air of religion about it. I'm not sure why I picked it up and read it, but I'm thankful that I did.This book's exploration of what compassion is and what it means to a Christian is without a doubt the best explanation that I have ever read. The book examines how God is compassionate and then looks at how this impacts the lives of those who would follow Him (the introduction alone is reason enough to read this book). It challenges people to embrace the sorrows and pain of others and to truly live a compassionate life.This books simple approach and "no-holds-barred" attitude towards compassion showed me that God was in fact compassionate and that those who followed Him could be too. If you have any questions or doubts about who God is, or if you want to know more about how God wants people to react to hurting, you MUST read this book. I can't say enough good things about it.

Everyone interested in Jesus should read this book. Yes, everyone. A couple of times. It has been one of the most influential books I've ever read. Nouwen pulls no punches, is not afraid to say anything. His message is hardcore and thought-provoking and if it was listened to honestly, would change the world. Read this book.