Pray for compassion*

1 John 3:17 KJV 

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Living the Spirit of Christ means having a visceral reaction when seeing a person in need.   In 1 John 3:17, some translations discuss the uncharitable reaction of shutting up the bowels of compassion in response to those in need.  In the Latin, viscera means bowels.

Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com, defines visceral:

1: felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body :deep

2: not intellectual : instinctive

 

Isn’t this how the empath reacts, feeling the emotions, the pain, or the needs of others literally within themselves?

It can be overwhelming to embrace your calling to see brothers and sisters in need.  It is often discussed that empaths can become overwhelmed in crowds or around people carrying negativity.  It isn’t comfortable to feel the emotions, the pain, or to see the real needs of others.

We can pray for the strength and the faith to see the needs of others despite the discomfort it causes us; the strength and faith not to close our hearts, not to shut the bowels of compassion, but rather to allow the charity and love of God to remain and grow within us.

*King James Version, Douay-Rheims, and Latin Vulgate versions of 1 John 3:17 from www.biblegateway.com