Around 10 years ago I began a collaged painting unlike anything I had ever done before. I kept getting an image- or rather a bundle of images- that I couldn't shake for several months. I saw a map of the nations laid out bare in front of me and words and pictures, some that I didn't understand, would sporadically pop up over the countries, cities and nations. After I while I realized I was beginning what would be become what I call a prophetic prayer map. For almost a year I would focus on one area, country or even continent at a time. I prayed for them and asked God how to pray. Some things seemed hard or painful, others hopeful, and some words seemed simply indicative of the current state of events.
One image I remember clearly wrestling with was a picture of a plane crash everytime I prayed over Indonesia and Malaysia. I set aside images rather than collaging them, not wanting it to actually be true. Two weeks later Malaysia flight 370 disappeared as the world watched and grieved. It was in that moment I felt the deep fear of God as I completed this project.
As I would pray, I wrote words that came up or set aside images I found in magazines that spoke to what I was seeing. Although I actually began by praying for and over the United States, I wrestled with many of the things that emerged and had a hard time collging pieces down. Our nation had walked through so much and if I'm honest, my own thoughts and feelings also clouded my ability to simply hear many times. So I felt extremely cautious about what was layed down. The US area has multiple layers, many of which are not seen- a reflection of layered prayers over thousands of miles and hundreds of years of history. There was one image that I kept seeing over and over again and I created and prayed. A bald eagle had a life preserver around its neck. It took me a while to locate both of these images to collage together, and it was abundantly clear that the eagle represented the US; the preserver because we were drowning and in need of rescue. For weeks I left these two images alone, asking the question of the Lord, "But WHAT is the life preserver? What is it that will rescue this nation from drowning?" I had many many words pulled out and set aside from the last few months and each one I tried out, ones that you might assume would go with rescue- "strength" "hope" "unity" "prayer", even "Jesus". I got a clear, "no." Not that. Not that.
One day, I saw a word that caught my attention but seemed out of place. As I glued it over the life preserver, with deep peace and "yes", I began to weep. I cried because it was the one thing I wondered would even be possible. "Compassion."
"When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:36-38
Why is it so easy for us to begin to hate, tear apart, ridicule, and isolate anything that feels "other"? I have wept ugly tears over the last few years at how many times I have seen, read, and sometimes heard, the most horrible and inhumane things about other human beings. While I understand frustration, anger and even total and complete disagreement in the United States, even within the body of Christ; I am both shocked and so saddened by the level of bitterness and lack of compassion I see growing as a weed choking the very life out of our souls. If we- speaking in this moment specifically to those to say we follow Christ- learn to speak with such venom for those we don't agree with, how can we possibly be lights to a dark world in need of hope and answers?
As we look at the passage in Matthew where Jesus' heart is broken and filled with compassion for the people, we learn one thing- this love was the fuel behind his action. It was his compassion that drove him to welcome the outcasts. It was compassion that healed outcasts even though the laws (supposedly) told him to leave them alone. It was his compassion that was present with widows and foreigners and homeless and those society tossed out. It was compassion that sent out the disciples to continue this work when he left this earth so that we would know the hope we have today.
There are drastically opposing political answers to the many many crises and problems and messes we have gotten ourselves into; but as a people of God we are absolutely required to first begin seeking those answers with one thing: the compassion and love of God.
I have a challenge for us that is quite a tricky one, but from the bottom of my heart believe will start to shake the foundations of the enemies work here in the states. And plot twist- it has absolutely nothing to do with a political leader or party. It has everything to do with Matthew 9. Start with us Lord. If you do so choose to accept this mission, I can guarantee you will put a moving target on your back. I promise you will lose the respect of at least one person and you will feel confused by how your opinions towards them begin to shift. I'm pretty sure not everyone will like you anymore. But if you accept, I can also promise that you will begin to feel a passionate love for people that you once despised. God will shake your faith and your heart in ways you might not even want him to. So you've been warned.
Write down people you are friends with or know that you disagree with pretty strongly. Pray every single day for God to show them his love and compassion, his joy and favor. That's it. Don't ask for him to change their minds. Just bless them.
Stop dehumanizing those you don't agree with. Everytime you find yourself confronted with a person or group that represents something you vehemently oppose or disagree with, pause what you're watching, reading or listening to, and pray for them by name that they would feel the overwhelming love and compassion of God. Ask God, "what is your heart for them and how can I pray for them?"
Next level challenge- it's easy to have compassion for the vulnerable you agree with or those that are easy to love, but what about someone that represents what you are angry at? Ask God to put one person in your life you can intentionally show compassion to in an active way so that we can become more like Jesus- the one who first had compassion on us. And lest we begin in on the, "Yah but they... let's first remember, 'yah but we'.*
It might not seem like compassion can shift the foundations of the world, but I think it's a good place to start as we choose to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
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