From HFI's Founders: What Does Compassion Look Like?

Human sympathy is not the same as godly compassion.  It?s fickle, fragile, temperamental, limited and vulnerable to prejudice.  Whereas godly compassion has it?s source in the heart of God and not the corruptible nature of man.  It is pure, loving, consistent, sustainable and all embracing.  The only way for a human being to express true compassion is to draw from the heart of our gracious, compassionate and slow-to-anger God as our source.

God demonstrated absolute compassion through the person of Jesus Christ.  As His followers, He has now extended that same ministry of grace, restoration and reconciliation to us.  For the ministry of Hope Force International (HFI), this compassionate grace is conveyed through acts of kindness -- often expressed through hard, physical labor.  It looks like tarping a roof in the blazing heat following a tornado or hurricane, cleaning up and mucking out after a flood or packing box after box of supplies for wildfire survivors in Washington state.  In the ongoing work of HFI in Appalachia, it can be renovating 91-year old Miss Hattie?s woefully inadequate dwelling or rebuilding the homes of Haiti?s earthquake-stricken families.

Compassion expressed by perfect strangers who expect nothing in return is a powerful catalyst for hope.  It can ignite dreams and convey the good news of God?s love to those who are poor, needy and beaten down by life?s circumstances.  Isn?t this what followers of Jesus do?  They partner with Him to restore, reconcile and redeem that which was lost.

Thank you for praying, sharing, giving and going as an expression of your love of God and compassion for others!

Jack and Cherie Minton, HFI Founders