Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir was known for her wit and her wisdom. She once said…
“Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil!”
Though at times accused of governing from her emotions, she replied…
“It’s no accident many accuse me of conducting public affairs with my heart instead of my head. Well, what if I do? Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either.”
That is advice we as Christians would do well to remember. We can laugh and claim that “the joy of the Lord is our strength”. We can dance as David danced, and throw ourselves into unrestrained worship at the drop of a hat. However, if we can’t weep for the hurting in this world – if we cannot burn with hearts of conviction for the least, the last, and the lost – how can we claim to be passionate for any of the things of God?
In Romans, we are encouraged to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep”. If we as the Church cannot show compassion to a world that Jesus died to save, we should probably re-examine whether the title “church” belongs on our door.
The Heart of Abba - Ron Phillips 