With the world in the grip of an unprecedented crisis caused by the spread of the COVID-19 disease, churches across the globe have been marshaling their faith, and the faithful, to begin meeting the needs of those whose lives are being torn apart.
4 reasons why the Church needs to strategically rethink its compassion.
Compassion is the feeling of love and mercy aroused when we are confronted with those who are suffering. This feeling produces in us the desire to act in a way that alleviates such suffering - especially for those experiencing poverty.
But frequently our compassionate care is more of an emotional response to an injustice, and less of a strategic one. Here are 4 reasons why the Christian Church needs to take advantage of the growing body of robust, evidence-backed data - and strategically rethink its compassion.
Faultless compassion: is it a realistic goal?
In the last few weeks, I’ve been able to work alongside a church member as they sought to help someone experiencing poverty. A young man had come along to one of their church’s outreach events, and during conversation, had revealed that he had been living on the streets for some time. As someone who took seriously the words, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me”, the church member wanted to help him…