All Things New

The largely popular Broadway musical, Rent is a provocative commentary on the nature of community. It seems like community often gets dumb-ed down to homogenous relationships. Rent is anything but uniform. The narrative combines a wide range of personalities, interests, and backgrounds. Yet, void of strong family ties, they create friendship, support, and shelter together. Aspiring filmmaker Mark Cohen, one of the leads, makes a profound statement saying, “War isn’t the opposite of peace. It’s our ability to create.” So, what are we creating with our lives, in our homes, with those that are most near, and in our City with those that seem most different?

In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, the word for “compassion” comes from the root word, “womb.” The picture is of a birthing. Something new is being born. It seems that our ability to create – or the Creator’s Spirit in each of us – is intended to demonstrate care, offer help, and/or author hope.

If we apply this to our life experience, it means that my compassionate acts gives people the benefit of the doubt. It affords them another chance. I offer a “fresh start.” Compassion requires me to take inventory of what I find most value – my very full calendar, my limited financial means, or my cherished relationships. Typically, it’s not hard to “give of myself” if it doesn’t intersect with those things. But what if what I have is supposed to involve others, even if that means I lesson my indulgence or occupation of those gifts. I think such compassion will dramatically change the way we relate to each other.

I was thinking this week, trying to decide, if our past or our future defines us more. You can argue that our past – full of life experience, trials and track records, unmet expectations, regrets, or rewards – shape us most. It would be hard to dispute it. Yet, I often find driven people, relentless in their pursuit of goals. It’s hard not to see how ambition, dreams, and goal setting is defining them. However, maybe the thing that defines us most is the present. Obviously, the past or the future can’t be thought of as mutually exclusive. Regardless of circumstances, we all have a choice in how we choose to respond. And we all have today – this moment – to create a better way, if not a blessing. Through compassion, he makes all things – our homes, our hearts, our relationships, our cities, our world – new.