[__ Prayer __] Christ's pity

[Christ_empowered]

I think pity is an underused word in American Christianity. I think we have some kind of hyper-individualistic, anti-pity mentality. Comapssion? OK. Mercy? Good. But pity? No!

It dawned on me while praying that I've been the object of a good deal of Christ's pity. Stigmatized, wretched people need Christ's pity, you know? I'm not too proud to admit that Christ's pity has transformed my life.

Anyway, it occurs to me that there are plenty of us out there who need Christ's pity. We all know wretched, miserable unbelievers who need Christ's pity and compassion from us Christians. The unteachable, the unreachable, the sinful and wretched who are blind to their wretched state. We all know them, some of us (many of us?) were them, once not so long ago.

So...yeah...pray with me that Christ will show pity to another wretch out there, maybe somebody you know.

 

[Andrew Mason]

I think it can sound condescending towards another a person if you tell them you have pity for them even if its not your heart. That's why I don't use the word.

 

[Kathi]

I think it can sound condescending towards another a person if you tell them you have pity for them even if its not your heart. That's why I don't use the word.

Yes it does.

 

[Christ_empowered]

I guess you're right...at the same time, while I wouldn't say *I* have pity on someone (because...wow...that is condescending), I think its perfectly OK to say "Jesus took/takes pity on XYZ." Like the Bleeding Woman in the NT. Some Bibles say he took *compassion* on her, others say *pity*. I don't know which is correct.

 

[Angel]

I looked up pity and it is kind sorrow.
Compassion is deep sympathy and sorrow.
So, compassion goes a little deeper, but they are really similar

 

[Kathi]

I guess it all depends on how it is used and with what tone.

 

[Christ_empowered]

yeah...I think I just think there's something to admitting that we're in need of pity from Christ (not other humans...but Christ...), because I think that's not a bad thing, especially when we somehow end up in desperate circumstances. I guess I was just trying to say that, at least in American culture, "pity" is *always* a bad word, even when we're dealing with The Almighty, and I don't agree with that mind set.