One of the high points of the traditional morning prayers comes right at the beginning. As the worshiper concludes putting on the tefillin, he wraps the leather strap around the middle finger three times, reciting the words of Hosea 2:19–20.
compassion through forgiveness
butter or clay?
merciful consideration
complete compassion
compassion in action
compassion in an unjust world
questions to ask yourself
Use these questions to evaluate your day:
What were the seeds that started to erode your compassion today? Judgmentalism? Apathy?
Did you encounter anyone today who needed compassion? What was your response?
Do you frequently judge people before you know their situation?
If you were on the verge of being apathetic to someone’s situation, what did you employ that
brought you into their reality and helped you to have compassion?
Were you able to use prayer or meditation to increase your compassion for someone or a situation
today?
Do you often let the news harden you so that you lack compassion? What measures could you take
to prevent this from happening so you can be actively practicing compassion?
Are you compassionate to a fault, or are slow to compassion?