Your responses to last week’s blog, Compassion Conquers Cruelty, were thought provoking and let me know it is a topic to be further examined. Here are five of your responses:

  • “I am withdrawing from the world. Did you see what happened to the men who tried to help those girls on the train? They were killed! I am going to stay home and mind my business.”

  • “Compassion must begin with me. I must be kind to myself.”

  • “I read your blog today. Today in the paper, homeless men helped the children in the Manchester Arena. They had been sleeping outside when the blast occurred. They stated they could not have lived with themselves if they had not tried to help?

  • “Isn’t this philosophy the reason Blacks are treated in the most inhumane manner in our country and around the world?”

  • “Compassion is more than a feeling. It prompts action to alleviate pain and suffering. As imitators of Christ, we ought to be compassionate.”

Last Thursday, I defined compassion as “joining feelings of concern with acts of kindness.” I asked you to decide not to be a spectator but a participator in the war against cruelty. I asked you to be an agent of compassion and to remember that compassion conquers cruelty. Then all hell broke loose.

  • On Friday morning, I lay on the sidewalk in front of a home décor store, touching my body to see if I was hurt or if anything was broken. Customers stopped in their tracks and looked at me. There was no staff in sight. No one offered to help. I was not hurt, just embarrassed. There was no compassion at this store.

  • Also, on Friday in Portland Oregon, two men were killed and one wounded while trying to stop anti-Muslim rants against two young Muslim ladies on a train.

  • On Tuesday, May 30th, The Daily News headlines read “52 Shot in Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend Marks Progress.” Considering seven people killed and 45 injured as progress shows that cruelty is at an all-time high in Chicago.

It is easy to get discouraged when looking at the callousness and loveless acts in this world. Thank God there is an effective response to evil acts. It is compassion. Several synonyms for compassion are love, kindness, mercy, and concern.

No, I am not a Pollyanna looking at the world throw rose-colored glasses, denying reality. I am a Christian who believes the word of God is true. I believe that I must not live my life by what I see if I want ultimate victory, but I must put into practice the life principles given to me by God in the Bible.

Is it easy? Heck no! But victory over evil never is easy or convenient or quick. However, Christians do have effective, powerful weapons to use in this fight against evil. Understanding that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the devil’s scheme, we must master our weapons so that we can win our individual and collective battles. Our war weapons are truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Ghost, and prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18).

I believe each time cruelty rears its ugly head it must be met with and defeated by acts of love, kindness, mercy, and concern.

I am interested in your thoughts on compassion conquering cruelty. Join the conversation.