A theological understanding of Christian social concern begins with the character of God. He is a 'social God' (9), relating within the community of the Trinity, and, in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, with his creatures on this planet. Jesus came with a mandate to preach, liberate and heal (Luke 4:18-19) and commissions his followers to do the same as he did (John 20:21). So the church, the body of Christ, does in its world what Jesus did in his: no more, no less. It adopts Jesus' stance towards others: that of a servant. And it will be called to account at the Great Judgement relative to the presence or absence of ministries of compassion to the poor (Matthew 25:31-46).

Who are the poor? They are people who have no 'place'. The materially poor are deprived of a place within the bounty of the community; the lonely, the imprisoned, or the emotionally poor do not have a place within a loving family or community; the politically poor do not have a place in the decision-making processes of their government; refugees are 'displaced', without a part of the earth to call their own; the spiritually deprived do not have a place in the Kingdom. Our Christian compassion must address all these issues. The meaning of Christian 'hospitality' is simply our opening up our hearts, our lives, our homes, our communities, to the 'wretched of the earth'. Hospitality is providing a place for Jesus, who is still poor today.

In November last year I asked some very poor rural Brazilians what made them anxious or fearful. A sad-looking mother said, 'I cannot warm my children with just one blanket.' A man who had the face and hands of half a century's hard labour said, 'I toil and toil but have very little to show for it'.

I was very moved. What do I say to them? Maybe my tears spoke louder than any words. I felt helpless, but I also felt a solidarity with them in their despair.

'Compassion' comes from the Latin pati and cum 'to suffer with'. The church takes Jesus as its model for compassion. Twelve times in the Gospels Jesus or his Father- God are said to be 'moved with compassion' for worried and helpless people (eg. Matthew 9:36). Our Lord sends us his followers into the world to 'be compassionate as your Father is compassionate' (Luke 6:36).

How does compassion work? In the same way God's does: he sends Jesus into the world to be with us. He emptied himself and became a servant (Philippians 2). That gives us dignity: we must be worth a lot if he is willing to be our slave! He says to us: 'I will be with you always until the end of the age' (Matthew 28:20). We are not alone.

So compassion is more than sympathy - 'feeling sorry' for the poor. It's not 'pity' for someone weak or inferior. Compassion is a 'doing verb' - relieving the pain of others, not just emoting about it. But it's more than 'helping the less fortunate' - that's elitist and paternalistic.

Compassion, says Matthew Fox, is the world's richest energy source. (10) A few days before his death, Rabbi Heschel said, 'There is an old idea in Judaism that God suffers when we suffer... Even when a criminal is hanged on the gallows, God cries. God identifies himself with the misery on this earth. I can help God by reducing human suffering, human anguish and human misery.' (11)

But there's so much pain - where do I start? In the Matthew text describing Jesus' compassion (9:35-38), our Lord then turns to his disciples and says 'There's so much to do, and so few to do it, PRAY!' The first thing to do is to pray! Prayer tunes us in to the heart of God. Prayer helps us focus on others and their needs. Prayer turns frustration and anger into hope. A by-product of prayer is peace, without which we will never act appropriately in an unjust world.

I believe it is important for every wage or salary earner, with their family or community, to give a proportion away regularly to the poor - in one's own country and overseas. You can sponsor a child - probably the best place to start for most: you have personal contact with someone and their family/community in the two-thirds world. Or you could be a 'project partner' - more of your dollar gets there that way. Our family began by sponsoring a child with World Vision: I liked their 'need not creed' way of doing ministry (as Jesus did it). Others would prefer their dollars go to evangelical Christians only, or to their own denomination first: OK, but also try to be well informed about the situations you are supporting.

Discuss: (1) Who is 'hurting' in some way in your neighbourhood? (2) What community resources or groups exist to meet these needs? (3) What unmet needs exist which your church could organize to meet? (4) It is possible to assist with aid and development most of the overseas poor, if we and our governments had a will to do so. One of the tragedies of our time is Christians who 'walk by on the other side of the sea'. What percentage of your church's families give regularly to a Christian aid organization? What could your church do to encourage more to be involved in world-wide ministries of mercy?

Bible Study: Romans 15:17-29. First look at Galatians 2:6-10: why would Paul need this reminder, do you think? What can you do, above what is done by government agencies for the poor in our country? 'Every Christian wage-earner and his/her family or community sshould give regularly to the poor overseas'. Agree? Many churches take up an extra offering once a month (at a communion service) for the poor: discuss the possibility of this idea in your church. How should this money be dispersed?

A Prayer: Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, prayed that his heart would be broken for the things that break the heart of God. Perhaps you and I could pray like this: 'Lord, the needs of the world are so great; evil and pain are everywhere; I can't do everything, I can't do much, but I can do something. It would be a privilege, Lord, to share the pain of others, and so to alleviate some of Your pain. I pray through Jesus Christ my Lord, who suffered so much pain for me. Amen.'

Further Reading: Matthew Fox, A Spirituality Named Compass- ion, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979; Donald McNeill, Douglas A. Morrison, Henri J M Nouwen, Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life, New York: Doubleday, 1983.