Poem
If I have not compassion on my
fellow-servant,
even as my Lord had pity on me,
then I know nothing of Calvary love.
若我不以主所施予我的恩慈來體恤同工，那我就還是絲毫不懂加略山的愛。
Meditation
Before prayer, I would like to share my meditation on Calvary love from a booklet "if" written by Amy Carmichael. Amy spent her life time to do the ministry to children since 1895 in India. This booklet helped me connect Calvary love to my daily life. I wish my meditation would help you as well in remembering Jesus.
Amy wrote this booklet in poetic format. Here is the first poem.
If I have not compassion on my fellow-servant, even as my Lord had pity on me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
I imagine that Amy would have fellow-servant to live with her and assist her in ministry. There was no space between fellow-servant and her in life. They knew what her life was about when she was not in public. Most of time I find myself be competent to share empathy and sympathy to coworkers. You would have no problem at all to do so. The problem I have is I am not capable to do so to my extended family. We are different in values and way of living. They saw my sinful nature; I can’t hide it. A solution would be to live separately. Then they don’t test my tolerance of patience anymore. Is it good? maybe. I put my sinful nature aside, and feel good about my belief. However that could be a very dangerous thing as well, because I live in delusion, a religious delusion.
What is the solution? LOOK UPON THE CROSS, and understand Calvary love, Amy proposed. One of my understanding about Calvary love is that because Jesus was died on the Cross, so he lives in me and you. There are Christ life and old self living in me. 1) Don’t try to improve my old self, it is no worth fixing old self, but nail it on the Cross. Put my efforts to get Christ life growing. 2) Do not share God’s love using my old self’s strength, but from Christ life in me.
Let us pray: Thank you Jesus, you called us out of darkness by your glory and virture (2 Pt1:3) into your light (1 Pt 2:9). As we come to the table remembering your love that you showed on the Cross, we admit that we won’t become a Christ-like Christian without nailing our old self on the Cross and get your life to grow in me. Thank you Jesus, you neve give up on us.