Church, Harlow):
The release of Abdelbaset al-Magrahi brought the issue of compassion
to the headlines for all of one day. Reactions to his release, as
presented by the BBC, were mixed, to say the least. Some victims'
relatives were glad he was allowed to go home to die; others were
adamant he should remain in prison and die there; a few were even
indifferent.
No doubt we all have our own perspective on the decision of the
Scottish Justice Minister. That he leaned towards compassion was
evident in his broadcast statement.
What is clear to me is that there is some confusion about the meanings
of words and in particular "clemency", "compassion" and "forgiveness".
Having been found guilty in a Scottish court operating on the
continent, there was no clemency. He was given a life sentence the
most severe that could be given since the abolition of capital
punishment. Clemency is about limiting punishment of the guilty taking
extenuating circumstances into account.
One relative of a victim of the bombing said something to the effect
that they thought that compassion was something that came into play
after someone said, "I am sorry". But that is actually forgiveness,
not compassion. Forgiveness means a change of attitude towards someone
who has treated you badly. It is a process of ceasing to bear a grudge
or to be bitter.
To genuinely forgive one has to be willing to do so before you hear
the words, "I am sorry".
But compassion is a willingness to be kind before there is an apology
and even if there is no apology. Compassion sees an individual's
present circumstances and deals with that person regardless of history.
Hatred and bitterness cannot co-exist with compassion. Hatred and
bitterness are born of pain and hurt and are often reflex, or knee-
jerk, responses, they can become a permanent state of mind if one so
chooses.
Compassion cannot be earned or deserved, so the view that a convicted
terrorist is considered to have shown no compassion to the people
killed on the plane and therefore does not deserve compassion himself
is false, even irrelevant.
Recently Reuben Morgan wrote a song that began, "Everyone needs
compassion". How true that is, but everyone will not receive
compassion from their fellow men and women. It is a missing ingredient
in many of us, maybe all of us at one time or another. The media, in
particular, seen lacking in that department, they fail to exercise
either forgiveness or compassion. If they knew forgiveness they would
not incessantly drag up the past failings of the people they wrote
about. If they knew compassion they would not hound those people's
families and camp like vultures on their front lawns.
There is only one place you can guarantee to find forgiveness a know
that you will be treated with compassion, and that place is at the
feet of Jesus Christ.
"Jesus, Thou art all compassion; pure unbounded love Thou
art." (Charles Wesley)
