Finding Compassion

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, September 25th, 2022:
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Amos
6.1a, 4-7

Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Alas for those who are at ease in Zion, and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria!

“Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory, and lounge on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock, and calves from the stall; who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and like David improvise on instruments of music; who drink wine from bowls, and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!

“Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of those who lie in ease shall pass away.”

Toxic positivity is a new phrase, but an old idea. 

I’m sure you’ve known someone like this: they want to be positive. All. The. Time. It sounds good on its face – positive thinking can be a wonderful thing! But it’s not always the right time. When someone is mourning the loss of a loved one or facing a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, statements like “you just need to keep a positive attitude” aren’t helpful. When people are burdened, this toxic positivity treats our feelings and struggles like a problem to be solved. 

In the first reading for this Sunday, the prophet Amos has had enough of people in his own time who ignore suffering and put their own happiness first. During the time Amos lived, the ancient kingdom of Israel was well established and thriving financially. But this wealth came at a real human cost. Some could afford not to work because they owned slaves. Others abused the law and reaped unfair profits from those already poor. And even those who earned their comforts were happy to take pride in their own accomplishments, neglecting to practise their faith and pay homage to the God who led them to this promised land that made their riches possible. 

What does God want? Amos makes it clear: God wants compassion. He expects those who have enough food to have compassion on the hungry and feed them. He expects those who are well to have compassion on the sick and anoint them with oil, giving them God’s blessing. And when faced with someone who has a problem that can’t be solved by human means, God expects those who are comfortable to share in their discomfort and to grieve with the grieving. 

Our world today still has injustice, just like in the time of Amos. I am far from rich, but neither am I poor, and it can be easy for me to fall back on middle-class comforts. What God asks from each of us is different – there’s no one path to holiness. But He does ask something of us, and often this ask challenges us to push out of our comfort zones. Perhaps God is asking you to expand your grocery budget and make hot meals to share with our unhoused neighbours. Maybe a friend whose grief is overwhelming simply needs you to sit with her, cry with her, and be present. There may be a lonely person within your own family, someone who needs less advice and more unconditional love. It could even be your own fears and doubts that you’re trying to drown in toxic positivity, instead of letting yourself be honest with God when things get hard. 

It’s good to be positive when our hope is in God. But when those around us are struggling, Amos reminds us that God also asks for our compassion. How can you show compassion to someone who needs it today? 



Jenna Young

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