“He (Saul) came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.”
1 Samuel 24: 3-4
I have spent about half of my adult life as a soldier, and as such, I have related to David in his weaknesses and his successes. In this scripture, David showed compassion toward King Saul, rather than eliminating his enemy.
One of my favorite military pictures is from our invasion of Iraq in 2003. The picture is of a young American soldier cradling an Iraqi child in his arms; it speaks to me of compassion. I do not know what was in the young soldier’s heart or what the situation was, but I love that photo that shows his compassion for an “enemy” in need.
Compassion … One of my consistent prayers over the years is that God will help me grow in compassion; well, after my continuous request for forgiveness.
Compassion: How do we grow in compassion? How do we display compassion? Does compassion grow in us as children when we experience the compassion of our parents and teachers? Then do we lose it as young adults when we venture into that “far country”?
I know that I will continue to seek more compassion in my life as I try to share compassion with those around me. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I am working on it. I pray that each of you is trying to share compassion as well.
With God’s Help, Bob Beck
