"Jesus
went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and
sickness. When he 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
9:35 - 38 NIV
A Compassionate Community
Dear friends, you might
consider this post to be an overreach, or one of my rambles, but here goes. While
contemplating a "C" word for this post, I was drawn to words of
comfort. Perhaps this contemplation of comfort words gives evidence of my
soul's longing. A longing for peace. A longing for gentle and safe times. A longing
for compassion and community.
After reading the messages of
our other blog post writers, I decided on the following. InScribe Christian
Writers’ Fellowship is a creative, compassionate community of writers who care.
Although we are scattered geographical boundaries, we have a common foundation
through our faith. We also share a common interest through the ministry of
writing. As followers of Jesus Christ, we express His compassion, a capacity to
express sorrow, for the helpless condition of other people.
We are called into a harassed and
helpless world.
The constant barrage of
tragedy, violence, and calamitous news of the world is too much to absorb. Even
children are bombarded with the effects of sin pushed on them these days. I wonder
to what depth they have been robbed of their innocence and trust in adults.
InScribe Writers compassionate
community uses words to speak into the darkness of the world's heartbreak. This
may seem like a tall order, but it can be done. We can do this together. We can
do this!
Perhaps through your writing
you have cried for the world. Well, my friends, like the words of mercy from
Jesus, your tears are not wasted, neither are they sucked into a deep vortex of
nothingness. Our sorrow, our words of mercy, beat with the heart of God.
If not for hope in God, where
would we be? What would be the purpose of the words we write? Our words include
the power to heal or harm. As a compassionate community of writers who are
Christians, we choose to compose words of writers who care.
A Short Story
Some of you know I worked as a
chaplain in healthcare for years. After retirement, I was left with memories of
people I served. I wrote these memories into stories, with a hope of sharing
them with others. I call these stories "Lessons from my Teachers." Here
is one of these short stories from a personal encounter I was honoured to
experience.
His Bible and Teddy Bear
I entered the room minutes after the old
gentleman breathed his last. The room felt still. His wife held his hand as she
stood by his bed and informed me, "he died just a few minutes ago". She
then said in a quiet voice, "He's at peace now!" Such a tender and
sacred moment to witness. She clasped something in her hands, and I saw it was
his Bible. His Bible was to go in his coffin with him along with his favourite
stuffed animal, a teddy bear. She said he would like this!
She seemed almost emotionless as she left the
room and looked so fragile, as if at any second, she would break. I helped her
carry his belongings and personal effects down the hallway of the care home.
A taxi was waiting outside. The driver greeted
her with a smile and "how are you today?" She got into the cab
without saying a word and waved to me as the taxi took her away. She was going
home to make the arrangements. Family had to be called. Meetings with the
funeral director would be in her near future. I remember what was important to
her as she readied to say goodbye to her husband. She wanted to make sure that
when he was placed in his casket, he wouldn't be alone. His Bible and his teddy
bear would be with him! Such a poignant scene as this would be.
I know from personal experience;
our stories can bring healing to people. Think of memories locked away in your
memory and how these stories have the power to heal.
Searching Questions for our
Calling
Do your words ever weep as you
write? If they do, what do they teach you?
Lord Have Mercy
May we never lose our
compassion for those harassed, helpless, and without the Shepherd. Lord have
mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
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Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. He is currently working on a book expressing the grief of grieving grandparents entitled “Hidden Poetic Voices: A Reflective Work of Grief, Faith, and Poetry.” Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. He recently volunteered to be the Writing Group Coordinator for InScribe. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.
