Is it money? Success? Fame? A family member? Love? What inspires you?
I was just reading Russell’s blog about what inspires you and it really made me stop and think. There are so many things in today’s world that may inspire us on a superficial level such as status, money & success, but let’s try to go deeper. Let’s look at the compassionate love that Russell talks about. Without looking at a dictionary, I would define compassionate love as “loving those who have nothing, who are less fortunate, those without hope….so that they may finally have hope.”
I grew up in a very religious family where my mom would have bible-study with my sisters and I every Sunday night at home. We read many a story and there was always one that stuck out in my head. The parable of “The Good Samaritan”.
A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the next day when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatsoever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay you.
I loved this story because it shows true compassion where cultural boundaries are crossed and all prejudices are thrown aside to simply help a human being in need.
So you might be inspired by compassionate love. That is just one of the many things that inspire me b
