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A Small Group Devotional on Life and Living
The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
Read the following:
Our compassion for victims is often limited by two factors: how vulnerable and innocent we think they are and whether we see them as a threat.
The first factor places responsibility on the victim. If we are unable to see them as vulnerable or innocent, we may blame them—at least in part—for their victimization. We may think that somehow their actions or inaction led to their pain. We may acknowledge that what occurred was bad but lack the desire to aid the victim or to take action to prevent such things from happening again.
The second factor leads us to believe that bad things should happen to the victim. We may not even be willing to see them as a victim. In this mindset, we applaud and celebrate the perpetrator while framing the victim as the villain. At its extreme, our compassion is completely replaced by the condoning of harmful actions, including murder and war crimes.
Where we would expect to find empathy, there is apathy.
Where we would hope to see compassion, we find cruelty.
Where then will we find empathy and compassion?
Use these questions to discuss and explore the Scripture and devotional reading above.
Take time to pray as a group.
If time allows, use the readings below to explore these ideas further.
Have a question? Do you have a prayer request? Need help or guidance? Whatever you need, we are here to listen.
We would love to hear from you!
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