Great Compassion: Sharing God's Heart
By Ryan Dawson
A truly great church is not defined by its size, programs, or even its influence, but by its heart—its compassion. You know the expression: “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” This is just as true for the Church as it is true for individuals.
When thinking about the importance of compassion, the story of Oskar Schindler comes to mind. Schindler was a German businessman and a member of the Nazi Party who initially saw World War II as an opportunity for profit. He owned a factory in Kraków, Poland, that produced enamelware and later munitions. At first, he employed Jewish workers simply because they were a cheaper source of labor. However, as he witnessed the brutal treatment of Jews under Nazi rule, something in him changed. Instead of exploiting his workforce, he began using his wealth and influence to protect them.
Schindler bribed Nazi officials, falsified records, and deliberately slowed production in his factory to ensure that Jewish workers under his care were not deported to concentration camps. As the war neared its end and the Nazis intensified their extermination efforts, Schindler created a list of more than 1,200 Jewish workers—his now-famous “Schindler’s List”—and convinced the Nazis that they were essential for the war effort. His factory became a refuge, and through his actions, he saved these men, women, and children from almost certain death.
Schindler’s compassion led him to risk everything, and it cost him dearly. By the war’s end, he was bankrupt, having spent his fortune on bribes and supplies to keep his workers safe. His story is a powerful reminder that compassion matters—and it makes a difference.
If we want to be a great Church in God’s eyes, we must grow in compassion because a Great Church will extend Great Compassion. How do we do that?
1) Compassion Begins with God's Heart:
God’s compassion is evident throughout Scripture. The Lord describes Himself as "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). Jesus, in His ministry, constantly demonstrated compassion—feeding the hungry, healing the sick, comforting the broken-hearted, and loving the marginalized. If we are to reflect God's heart, we must cultivate great compassion in our lives and our church.
2) Compassion is Love in Action:
Micah 6:8 gives us a clear description of living with compassion: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NIV)
Micah was a Jewish prophet in 8th century BC, who spoke out against the corruption of leaders, the exploitation of the poor, and the people's failure to live according to God’s principles. He reminded Israel and Judah that true faith is not about religious rituals but about how we treat others, especially the vulnerable and marginalized. He gave a clear path to living with compassion…
•“Act Justly” – This is standing for righteousness, fairness, and justice in a world where this is often not the case. Jesus came to restore all that was broken by sin, by ushering in His Kingdom, and we as the Church are sent into a broken world to show God’s heart so we must seek God’s justice.
•“Love Mercy” – The Hebrew word "hesed" means steadfast love, favour, loyalty, and kindness. This is God’s love for His people, and we are included in that number. Jesus exemplified mercy when He forgave sinners and welcomed the outcast. As the Church, we must be known for our kindness, forgiveness, and care for those in need.
•“Walk Humbly with God” – This is to live in conscious fellowship with God, fully aware of His grace. A Church that walks humbly before the Lord extends grace to others because we know we are all recipients of God’s grace and mercy. There is no place for pride and self-righteousness in our lives.
3) Compassion Ensures the Church Reflects Jesus Christ:
When we operate with compassion, we point others toward Jesus. But Jesus isn’t just our example—He is our enabler. Surrendering to Christ fills and empowers us with His Spirit so we can love as Christ loves. "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19, NLT) The ultimate motivation for compassion is God’s love for us. Knowing we have received grace compels us to extend that same grace to others.
A great church does not simply talk about compassion—it demonstrates it in tangible ways by:
•Caring for those struggling with poverty and food insecurity.
•Encouraging the broken-hearted and grieving.
•Loving and serving others selflessly.
•Forgiving as Christ has forgiven us.
•Helping the vulnerable, such as widows and orphans.
•Loving those who are marginalized by society.
Compassion enables the Church to be known for what it is FOR—and not what it is against. Our compassion is a powerful witness to a broken world that desperately needs Jesus.
How can we grow as a compassionate church that reflects Jesus?
•Let’s surrender fully to God’s love. Have you yielded to Jesus and given Him complete control of your life? Are you seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit?
•Let’s love and forgive one another. We can’t love the world well if we don’t love each other first. It starts with us at home, and in our church family.
•Let’s engage in justice issues. How can we intentionally support the oppressed and vulnerable in our society? Consider fostering, adoption, visiting seniors in Care homes, and helping at local Food Banks.
•Let’s partner with Kingdom ministries. Supporting organizations like our Surburban Missionaries, Safe Families, Ottawa Innercity Ministries, Respond Ottawa, and Jericho Road will enable us to make a difference in a tangible way.
•Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in living with compassion. As individuals, families, and Impact Communities, look for where God is working and join Him there.
As we grow in compassion, we fulfill the mission of Christ and display His heart to the world. May we be a Church that truly shares God’s heart of compassion.
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan
A truly great church is not defined by its size, programs, or even its influence, but by its heart—its compassion. You know the expression: “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” This is just as true for the Church as it is true for individuals.
When thinking about the importance of compassion, the story of Oskar Schindler comes to mind. Schindler was a German businessman and a member of the Nazi Party who initially saw World War II as an opportunity for profit. He owned a factory in Kraków, Poland, that produced enamelware and later munitions. At first, he employed Jewish workers simply because they were a cheaper source of labor. However, as he witnessed the brutal treatment of Jews under Nazi rule, something in him changed. Instead of exploiting his workforce, he began using his wealth and influence to protect them.
Schindler bribed Nazi officials, falsified records, and deliberately slowed production in his factory to ensure that Jewish workers under his care were not deported to concentration camps. As the war neared its end and the Nazis intensified their extermination efforts, Schindler created a list of more than 1,200 Jewish workers—his now-famous “Schindler’s List”—and convinced the Nazis that they were essential for the war effort. His factory became a refuge, and through his actions, he saved these men, women, and children from almost certain death.
Schindler’s compassion led him to risk everything, and it cost him dearly. By the war’s end, he was bankrupt, having spent his fortune on bribes and supplies to keep his workers safe. His story is a powerful reminder that compassion matters—and it makes a difference.
If we want to be a great Church in God’s eyes, we must grow in compassion because a Great Church will extend Great Compassion. How do we do that?
1) Compassion Begins with God's Heart:
God’s compassion is evident throughout Scripture. The Lord describes Himself as "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8). Jesus, in His ministry, constantly demonstrated compassion—feeding the hungry, healing the sick, comforting the broken-hearted, and loving the marginalized. If we are to reflect God's heart, we must cultivate great compassion in our lives and our church.
2) Compassion is Love in Action:
Micah 6:8 gives us a clear description of living with compassion: "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8, NIV)
Micah was a Jewish prophet in 8th century BC, who spoke out against the corruption of leaders, the exploitation of the poor, and the people's failure to live according to God’s principles. He reminded Israel and Judah that true faith is not about religious rituals but about how we treat others, especially the vulnerable and marginalized. He gave a clear path to living with compassion…
•“Act Justly” – This is standing for righteousness, fairness, and justice in a world where this is often not the case. Jesus came to restore all that was broken by sin, by ushering in His Kingdom, and we as the Church are sent into a broken world to show God’s heart so we must seek God’s justice.
•“Love Mercy” – The Hebrew word "hesed" means steadfast love, favour, loyalty, and kindness. This is God’s love for His people, and we are included in that number. Jesus exemplified mercy when He forgave sinners and welcomed the outcast. As the Church, we must be known for our kindness, forgiveness, and care for those in need.
•“Walk Humbly with God” – This is to live in conscious fellowship with God, fully aware of His grace. A Church that walks humbly before the Lord extends grace to others because we know we are all recipients of God’s grace and mercy. There is no place for pride and self-righteousness in our lives.
3) Compassion Ensures the Church Reflects Jesus Christ:
When we operate with compassion, we point others toward Jesus. But Jesus isn’t just our example—He is our enabler. Surrendering to Christ fills and empowers us with His Spirit so we can love as Christ loves. "We love because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19, NLT) The ultimate motivation for compassion is God’s love for us. Knowing we have received grace compels us to extend that same grace to others.
A great church does not simply talk about compassion—it demonstrates it in tangible ways by:
•Caring for those struggling with poverty and food insecurity.
•Encouraging the broken-hearted and grieving.
•Loving and serving others selflessly.
•Forgiving as Christ has forgiven us.
•Helping the vulnerable, such as widows and orphans.
•Loving those who are marginalized by society.
Compassion enables the Church to be known for what it is FOR—and not what it is against. Our compassion is a powerful witness to a broken world that desperately needs Jesus.
How can we grow as a compassionate church that reflects Jesus?
•Let’s surrender fully to God’s love. Have you yielded to Jesus and given Him complete control of your life? Are you seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit?
•Let’s love and forgive one another. We can’t love the world well if we don’t love each other first. It starts with us at home, and in our church family.
•Let’s engage in justice issues. How can we intentionally support the oppressed and vulnerable in our society? Consider fostering, adoption, visiting seniors in Care homes, and helping at local Food Banks.
•Let’s partner with Kingdom ministries. Supporting organizations like our Surburban Missionaries, Safe Families, Ottawa Innercity Ministries, Respond Ottawa, and Jericho Road will enable us to make a difference in a tangible way.
•Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in living with compassion. As individuals, families, and Impact Communities, look for where God is working and join Him there.
As we grow in compassion, we fulfill the mission of Christ and display His heart to the world. May we be a Church that truly shares God’s heart of compassion.
For Christ and His Kingdom, Ryan