Compassion Gregory Boyle Analysis

Sometimes when asked to define a word that everyone knows the meaning of, it can be hard to articulate the true meaning of that word. Compassion seems to be one of them. Gregory Boyle does his best to define compassion by saying “compassion isn’t just about feeling the pain of others; it’s about bringing them in toward yourself” (75). If we are to be as compassionate as God is compassionate, then we must destroy stereotypes and break boundaries that separate the marginalized from the non-marginalized. Boyle goes on to try to further explain compassion by giving explicit examples from his life where compassion was shown, by either him or another human being. The first story Boyle tells is a sad one about a child who has a bright future ahead of him who is gunned down for no reason by gang members Boyle knew. Boyle explains the struggle he went through to not hate the murderers. But are the misguided kids unworthy of the same compassion that was shown for the boy? No. Jesus showed compassion to everyone, especially to the sinners. For that is what the Kingdom of God is all about: loving your enemy. The second story is more impersonal but brings up the point of having compassioned for the cursed. Boyle also brings

A special bond that makes people feel a connection to someone right away. Doing service is just that, doing something, like a job. An emotional bond should not take a lot of effort or work. It should come from within. When you serve, you are still separated from the one you are serving because it is a brief moment where you only help someone. But with kinship, there is no separation. You share a deep connection where you both become one person, in a sense, because there are no differences. It is truly a gift to develop a kinship with someone, especially if that kinship takes the form of a