Monday 20th July 2026

Romans 12:9–13 

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour.  Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

I wonder if you look back through rose coloured spectacles when it comes to remembering the past. The young respected their elders, churches were full, the world was simpler and happier etc. Some of that may be true for some people.

Thinking of what it means to be a Compassionate Community, we can recognise that the way care and support was found in the past was very different from now.  Much of the way we find support now is through professional services, from healthcare to planning your wedding; there is always a professional on hand. When we’re experiencing tough times including serious illness or bereavement, we’ve become dependent on professional care which in most cases is not what is needed. Only around 3% of people will experience complex grief that needs professional input. For the rest, the best possible support comes from our family, friends, and colleagues.

It’s said that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, we become more rounded people when we have input from a broad range of influences. The joys in life are celebrated better, and the lows are held better in community, surrounded by positive relationships. Some will naturally have lots of friends and a close family and others only a few friends, we’re all different. We don’t all need lots of people supporting us. What we do need is people around us who give us time, prepared to listen – and keep listening for however long is needed.

We can fear saying the wrong thing, or imposing in other’s business, but if we all do that, we’re all more likely to struggle. There are lots of ways for a community to become more compassionate. Jesus showed the way by how He valued people, loved all people, never hid away from the less desirable, he showed kindness and accepted people whatever the state of their lives. We flourish, not by the survival of the fittest, but by the survival of the kindest.

Prayer

We pray for the communities we belong to, 
that these would be places where all can grow and flourish.
We ask for confidence and a willingness 
to support those who are in need around us.
We pray for a world, not where the strongest prosper, 
but one built on kindness and compassion 
where all can live life in all its fullness.
Amen