Created in His Image

A common thread in the work of Sandals and a Stick is the gathering of opinions from various sources. It is true, that although some secular trails severely divert from the spiritual paths, many times they follow a similar route with a difference that is mainly focus driven.

The titles of these two short articles that graced my inbox this week seem to lack any similarity, yet they were not divergent.

1. Mirrored Suffering Leads to Compassion, by Richard Rohr.

In this article, Richard reflects on real-life suffering and how it can teach us compassion. Each Saturday, these themed, daily articles are followed by a recap. These are a few of the short summaries presented yesterday.

• "Jesus never once talked about attending church services, but he talked constantly about healing the sick and feeding the hungry. That is what it seems to mean to be a follower of Jesus."
• "As compassion and sympathy flow from us to any person marginalized for whatever reason, wounds are bandaged—both theirs and ours. We’ll never bandage them all, nor do we need to, but we do need to get close to the wounds."
• "The most obvious change that results from the holding and allowing that we learn in the practice of contemplative prayer is that we will naturally become much more compassionate and patient toward just about everything. Compassion and patience are the absolutely unique characteristics of true spiritual authority."

2. Just Looking, by Seth Godin

Seth is taking the approach that "Just Looking" is a way to live our lives. In fact, it's encouraged. But the other side of this coin is a life more fulfilled. In his mind, "For people seeking to make a difference, it begins with helping other people make a difference."

• "The next time, walk up to the first unattached person you see and ask a few generous questions, the kind of questions you wish someone would ask you."
• "When you join an online community, lurking is unlikely to get you what you seek. Find a non-lurker and contribute to their thread. Generosity is not the same as hustle." 
• "Instead of waiting to make the varsity team, start an intramural league, even if it’s for just an afternoon."

One might believe that I read too many blogs. Sometimes, even I think that. But what I think even more is that exposure to the thoughts of others teaches me more about myself. More importantly, if my eyes are open, it teaches me more about God and the way I am to live.

In this world, nobody avoids pain. But we can use that pain to comfort others. When we see others in distress, we can walk up and "ask a few generous questions of the type we wish others would ask us." And Compassion grows. And Love grows.

We are made in God's image. That image means that we, unlike animals, have an inherent ability to embrace moral standards.  We can experience beauty and meaning. We seek strong connections with others. We have value and can recognize the same value in another.

We are made in God's image. I hope that I can see what He sees, feel what He feels, and step up to the calling of sympathy and aid for all suffering and injustice. 

I hope that just like God does for us, we can put our arms around each other while walking the path of life toward peace, compassion, and love for all.