Compassion and justice are religious terms that advocate for the rights and privileges of the less fortunate in society. It takes compassion to recognize the needs of the poor people in the society and justice to relieve them of their miserable conditions of abject poverty.
Different religions all over the world have been helping the poor by providing clothes, food and shelter as basic human needs, and eventually preach to them concerning their respective religious beliefs.
Lupton argues that, “the urban landscape is changing and, as a result, urban ministries are at a crossroads …if the Church is to be an effective agent of compassion and justice, we must change our mission strategies” (40). Currently, religious bodies are devising more approachable and effective ways of helping the poor by considering new strategies of compassion and justice in their ministries.
Deepening religious awareness and interconnectedness to each other people enhances religious unity among diverse religions. Unbiased awareness of other religions demystifies stereotyped beliefs associated with other religions and generates sense of trust between various religions, thus creating peaceful coexistence among religions.
Religions reaffirmed their responsibility that they will “…promote dialogue and harmony between and within religions, recognizing and respecting the search for truth and wisdom that is outside our religion, and establish dialogue with all, striving for a sincere fellowship on our earthly pilgrimage” (Robinson 339). The reaffirmation by diverse religions to enhance religious awareness is to promote religious tolerance and interconnectedness.
The current state of the world is very insensitive to the plight of the poor and the sick because the government and the church alone have great responsibility of helping the needy. Since the society is quite insensitive, creation of a compassionate world, where everybody can have a sense of compassion and can voluntarily take an initiative of helping the needy is necessary.
Teaching children to be compassionate “…makes them become aware of the world and it teaches tolerance towards different cultures and personalities … this enables children to be more sensitive and caring, that in turn leads to better relationships with others as they grow into adulthood” (Goode 5). If people were compassionate, then they would be sensitive to the needy and respond to their needs appropriately, the world would become compassionate and a better place to live.
Catholicism holds that the church has a moral and divine responsibility to provide for the needy and be advocates for their justice. According to Catholicism, “society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due, according to their nature and their vocation.
Social justice links to the common good and the exercise of authority “(Robison 335). Social justice entails putting measures that alleviate the suffering of the needy and addressing the root cause of the problems.
Creation of socially just world is a divine duty since God is compassionate and humanity should reflect the compassionate attributes of God. Human beings have divine responsibility because in “…all economic and social life, the decisive point of the social question is that goods created by God for everyone should in fact reach everyone in accordance with justice and with the help of charity ” (Lupton 43).
Thus, being compassionate and helping the needy through charity work deepen one’s spirituality because it is in accordance with the will of God, for He sent Jesus to heal the sick, free slaves, feed the hungry, and preach the everlasting gospel to all humanity.
Works Cited
Goode, C. “Teaching Compassion to the Children.” Catholic Journal, (2008): 1-13.
Lupton, R. “Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life.” Rethinking Ministry to the Poor. New York: Regal Publisher, 2007.
Robison, M. “Justice as Freedom, Fairness, Compassion, and Utilitarianism.” Contemporary Justice Review 6.4, (2003):329–340.