Put yourself in their shoes.

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous… 1Pt3.8 NKJV

The word translated compassion, if brought directly from the Greek, is pronounced the same as our word, sympathetic. One cultural expression that we use, conveys at least a part of what we do when we sympathize with someone. I am referring of course, to the oft used phrase, “put yourself in their shoes.” In other words, imagine what it would be like to be where they are, to go through whatever they are experiencing, to feel what they are feeling. What if I were the one, waiting a word from the doctor, had a wayward child, had just lost a loved one, or was sitting in a surgery waiting room. I think to some degree we all do this naturally. But we are encouraged to take this inclination to heart and mature it, especially in the fervor of our prayers and actions on their behalf. We are told as much in these words, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” We are to fine tune our sensitivities to others, and to see ourselves as Christ has made us. We are one body and if one part suffers the whole sympathizes with it. Truthfully, when we see ourselves in this light, we do not need to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, we rightly understand that we are wearing the very same shoes with them. We might object to this notion and say that there would be no joy in our life if we took to ourselves the sufferings of others. But we are told not only to weep with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice. I have in one day, wept with parents who had to unplug their baby from life support, and later that same day, share in the joy of uniting two people in the bonds of marriage. I remember well coming to the end of that day feeling spent, yet strangely full. His inexhaustible grace is powerfully sufficient and He of course is wearing the very same shoes with us. 9/13/07 ts