Our world is hurting.  As a human race, we stand in the shadow of Jesus’ words to His disciples when He said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matthew 24:6-13).  While I believe Jesus was referring to some geopolitical events which would impact the early church, He also framed a story-line which has been repeated for generations since. 

I personally do not dismiss world tension as merely “more of the same”.  Our age has its unique issues, leaders and cultures.  And, of course, we have the looming reality of nuclear annihilation in the background, which flavors our political posturing.  Our efforts to balance justice with peace, and to seek a meaningful resolution to world conflict should never end.  I say this because I don’t want you to think what I am about to share is a grossly simplistic compartmentalization of a complex situation.

But I do wish to turn my attention to the countless individuals in our world who are suffering from disease, famine, physical maiming and associated trauma as a result of war, poverty, government corruption and natural disasters.  Perhaps you have found yourself wanting to reach into a television screen to hold a frightened child in your arms, or to shelter a family which has witnessed atrocities and has nowhere to turn.  Indeed, there are some means by which we can and do help, whether it be through financial contributions to relief organizations and Christian missions or arranging to be personally present to bind up the wounded. 

In the midst of such sorrow, however, I confess that I sometimes allow my opinions to harden my heart when I see innocent people caught in the crossfire of events at home and abroad.  My diseased conscience declares, “How horrible! But then, they brought it on themselves.”  Or, “They have had opportunities, but they refuse to change.” These judgments make it possible to disassociate myself from others’ tragedies, while maintaining an air of righteousness.    

However, I dare not fall into this trap.  For my soul’s sake I must not.  It is true I can allow my compassion for people to cloud my thinking and unwittingly hurt them in my attempt to help them.  For example, I am not doing irresponsible people a favor by constantly rescuing them from their destructive decisions.  On the other hand, it is possible for my heart to grow so cynical and cold I lose touch with my own humanity, or even worse the image of God in all of humanity.    

In light of suffering in our world, and the actions we might take or withhold to relieve it, I thought it might be helpful to frame a few principles to guide our thinking:

First, and foremost, we should remember Christ’s command to care for the hurting.  Jesus’ famous teaching in Matthew 25:31-46 regarding the “least of these”, reminds us He is near to, and in some way imbedded in the plight of the hurting.  When we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, take in a stranger, clothe the naked or visit those in prison, we are literally serving Jesus.  He, Himself experienced all of these things, and whether we care for His servants or those who are far off, we do so out of love and reverence for the One who emptied Himself for our salvation.  The question is not, “Should I care for the hurting”, but rather, “If I am commanded to do so, when, how and where does my Lord wish to use me?”  I totally understand why we might say, “I just don’t have any sympathy for people who…”  However, we must ask ourselves where we would stand in God’s eyes if He assumed the same posture toward us.  We cannot morally or ethically afford to dismiss other people’s pain.

Secondly, we should take personal responsibility for the Lord’s prompting in our own hearts and not expect others to answer our call.  I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with rallying others for a good cause.  Many wonderful Christ-based relief organizations owe their existence to founders who invited others to join them on a mission.  Yet, it is easy to say, “We ought to do this or that”, or perhaps, “You should do this or that”, and fail to take responsibility for something God has put on our hearts.  If I see people hurting and feel compelled to help, I should look for a way to relieve their suffering.  At the risk of sounding a bit dramatic, consider this possibility: If we see an innocent child bloodied by war, we can send money to an organization whose members are personally ministering to the child.  If we want to hold the child and sit with him in his stained garments, we might by some providential move of God travel to his side and do just that.  But if this occurs it would be wrong for us to point our finger at others and say, “You should be here as well.”  In truth, someone who remains in his home to care for an aging loved one with dementia, or who holds her child in her arms during chemotherapy treatments is also serving “the least of these.”  When we impose our passion on others, we run the risk of becoming self-centered in the course of serving others. Our goal should always be to discern God’s will for our own lives and honor Him through obedience, without holding others to unrealistic expectations.

Finally, we should not exploit the suffering of others for our own purposes.  It is common in our culture to use images of suffering people to demonize those with whom we have strong philosophical or political disagreements.  We must remember the mother who has just witnessed the murder of her husband and children doesn’t care about our political views.  The homeless veteran at the mercy of unscrupulous victimizers doesn’t want to hear our philosophy.   This doesn’t mean politics and philosophies don’t matter.  They are, in fact, often the root cause of suffering.  However, our first response to suffering should not be one of blame and moral superiority as if to say, “See! This is where your thinking leads!”  We must remember the true enemy is Satan, and we are the Good Neighbors who stop for those who are bleeding, and if possible, make a personal difference in their lives.    

It is important to guard our hearts lest they grow weary and cold.  I don’t believe God expects us to care for everyone as that would be impossible, or to fail to hold people accountable.  But we must not lose the ability to weep with those who weep (as well as rejoice with those who rejoice).  When Jesus shared His teaching in Matthew 25, he didn’t say “When you did it for the least of these with whom you agreed.”  Instead, He gave us a command that is impossible to ignore.  He also said there will be a time when He will separate the obedient from the disobedient, the “sheep” being the obedient and the “goats” being the disobedient.

I can’t tell you how to act on the Lord’s call to care for the hurting.  Just don’t be a goat.