compassion

A study conducted at the Princeton Theological Seminary examined why at times we help those in need and why at other times we do not. The student participants were told that they had to give a practice sermon: half the students read the Parable of the Good Samaritan, where a man stops to help a stranger at the end of the road; the other half were given different Bible stories. Unbeknownst to the students, a man who appeared in need was designed to be present on their walk home. Did those who read the Parable of the Good Samaritan have more active compassion and stop to help more than the others? The answer ... no. So what was it that mattered on their walk home? It seemed to be more about how much of a hurry the students were in ... were they late for their next class? What are the consequences of our living up in our heads or often thinking we're in a hurry? How might we be missing out on a strength that could support ourselves or others when struggling? Consider slowing down today; where are the opportunities to practice compassion?