Mark 6:34, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, becuase they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things."

In one of the churches I served at, we were rocked by a tragic motorcyle death that took the life of father and son. It was one of those tragic accidents that made us all cringe with pain. It was one of those tragic accidents that reminded us how fragile life is. It was one of those tragic accidents where our compassion went out to the family members and friends left behind. And those aren’t the only deaths we mourn. Some of you are mourning loved ones recently passed away. The need for compassion is great.

Compassion is really the only thing we can offer these people. We cannot promise to make things better for them. We cannot promise to bring loved ones back. We cannot promise them it won’t hurt. But we can share compassion.

If these tough and tragic deaths remind us of anything it is that the people in our lives need true compassion. There are people who don’t know their Savior, who walk around with a darkness, an emptiness, inside them that this world doesn’t fill. These are the people for whom Christ died; people like you and me, people we can share compassion with. And the kind of compassion that you and I can share is very different from the kind of compassion the world offers. Our compassion is the compassion of Christ. That selfless love of Christ, who loved us when we didn’t deserve it, is the source of our own compassion.

So when we raise our eyes and see the people in this world who don’t know Christ, then it is time to share Christ’s compassion. We do that when we share in Christ’s desire to love and when we share Christ’s message. Now more than ever, I think, it is time to share Christ’s compassion.