Jesus-Like Compassion

Happy 34th Anniversary, CCF!

While it is a great honor to write for the anniversary, it is also a privilege to reflect on last week’s message by Ptr. Peter Tan-Chi about having Jesus-like compassion. I honestly have been falling short in this area because of recent unfortunate events that keep coming my way – challenges that I have to overcome in order to point others to God’s glory. I also admit that I cannot write about the message without getting emotional as I think of my parents, whom I associate with compassion as an attribute.

The same day we celebrated CCF’s anniversary was the day Jesus called my dad, who was taking a nap, to join him in Heaven. It is with deep sympathy that I have to face the reality that my dad is no longer with us but he is now with our Lord Jesus Christ. I am still in grief but surprisingly, experiencing comfort as well. My dad’s peaceful passing is a testimony of Jesus’ promise in John 14.

Looking back on my own life, I’ve always had a hard time drawing family trees as I am well aware that I have three siblings through my Dad’s other side of the family. To them, I am the “other sibling”, yet I praise God for my Dad’s compassionate heart. He never hid me from the world. He took responsibility for me, supported me, and even introduced me to the rest of his family. I felt his fatherly love for us as he tried his best to love all of us equally and without bias. It goes without saying that the other side of Dad’s family was likewise affected upon his passing and I am bound to meet a stepsister whom I’ve only known by name but haven’t met yet.

This anniversary message spoke to me and placed the burden in my heart to show a Jesus-like compassion to my stepsister. I pray that when we do meet, that it would be a fruitful encounter and that she would accept the Lord as someone who could actually give the same – and an even better – kind of love that she thought she lost.

I am grateful for the example of my parents. For me, they have demonstrated a Jesus-like compassion like no other. Whenever my parents would face problems back in the day, they would constantly respond in compassion. My Mom could have easily hidden me from my Dad, and my Dad could have cut his ties and disowned me, but neither did such a thing. They never made me feel insignificant or that I had less value because of my situation; instead, they would constantly give me encouragement as I grew up.

My Mom is looking forward to meeting my stepsister, as well as knowing her story. On my end, I know it isn’t late to extend compassion to my older stepsister. I trust in God’s plans and I trust His process — all I need to do is respond in compassion just like His Son, Jesus.