Counsels on Social Issue

Counsel #14 — Compassion And Service

Picture: Counsel #14 — Compassion And Service CSI 127.1

Imagine CSI 127.2

you're a student struggling with tuition costs, feeling like a number in a system that only cares about your grades. CSI 127.3

Imagine you're a homeless individual facing rejection and indifference from organizations that could provide support. CSI 127.4

Imagine your family is dealing with a crisis, but the resources you desperately need seem locked away behind bureaucratic walls. CSI 127.5

These are just a few examples of how institutional failures can impact real people. When we prioritize profit and efficiency over compassion and service, we create a system that leaves the vulnerable behind. CSI 127.6

But here's the good news: Christian institutions have a unique opportunity to be different. They have the power to break the mold and create spaces where compassion and service are not just buzzwords but lived realities.^[177] CSI 127.7

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 NKJV CSI 127.8

“Whether in the home, the neighborhood, or the school, the presence of the poor, the afflicted, the ignorant, or the unfortunate should be regarded, not as a misfortune, but as affording precious opportunity for service.” Ellen White in The Adventist Home, p. 490 CSI 127.9

Reflect: How can the institution you know best shift focus from profit and productivity to impact, measuring success not just by financial metrics or output but by the positive difference made in the local community? CSI 127.10