Russell was our homeless person in our small Wisconsin town… kind of. He did have an apartment but spent almost all of his time walking the sidewalks, smoking a cigarette and looking for someone to tell one of four stories he repeated over and over again. Russell had suffered a brain injury in the Vietnam War, and the government provided him with a place to live and enough financial support for a modest living.

Russell and I established enough rapport that he remembered my name (after I had reminded him numerous times.) Eventually, I invited him to church, and he agreed to accompany our family. The next Sunday morning, Russell arrived on time and jumped in to my Suburban with all of the kids. The children were none too happy because Russell’s hygiene was somewhat lax and his cigarette fragrance was overpowering.

We all attended church that morning, which Russell seemed to enjoy and afterwards, I stepped outside the building to wait for my family. While standing there, a well-meaning church member came up and asked to speak with me privately. We moved over a few yards and the man pointed to Russell, who was enjoying a cigarette and none the wiser. He said, “That guy’s testimony is terrible, Look at him, smoking in the church parking lot!”

One of our Xaverian values is compassion. It can be defined as the capacity to feel deep sympathy or empathy for another individual. I recently heard a well-known Catholic speaker, Dr. Edward Sri, describe compassion in a way that I had not heard before. He said that compassion is offering Christ’s love despite what we see or understand. In other words, only God knows the true journey of each human soul, and final judgment is reserved to Him; our role is to offer His love even when we may be hesitant to do so.

This definition of compassion made me think of my church friend. On the one hand, he was correct. Russell was not a typical churchgoer. His testimony could be questioned due to his look, dress and smell. However, Russell was more than the sum total of his appearance. He had been through some things most of us will never encounter, and his experience in the war left him with challenges. Since I knew Russell's background, it was easier for me to have compassion. I might have judged him as the lay leader did if I had not been previously informed.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. His example of compassion is nothing short of miraculous. Christ didn’t wait until we had cleaned up our act or were able to manufacture a good testimony. He paid the ultimate price even though he knew who we were. While knowing everything about us, his compassion or sympathy for us is beyond my comprehension.

We each have the capacity to receive and give compassion. It’s one of the ways we are created in His image. One of the most important ways we can minister to others is by meeting each individual where they are and extend compassion. In fact, this can often be one of the most transformational moments in our lives. As we move into the Christmas season, may we grow in a deeper understanding of the character trait of compassion in our lives and the lives of our students.

Thank you for your support,

John Thornburg