Compassion

Compassion is a suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection.–American Heritage Dictionary

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“Man expresses the law of compassion with ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’ ”–Edna Lister

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  While the world views compassion as sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others, we who walk the Via Christa identify it as being aligned much more closely with empathy and kindness.
  Compassion is an attribute of the Godhead, Wisdom and Love combined, rooted in the principle of the Logos. Compassion is an absolute principle, an abstract principle, a law of being and of doing, a Via Christa Degree and a virtue. Our relative expression of compassion is in the perfect balance between Love and Wisdom in action. Man expresses the law of compassion with ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.’–Matthew 5:7

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Edna Lister on Compassion

Compassion is how you share Christ’s Passion.–Edna Lister, April 19, 1935

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The Master always has his eye on you in loving compassion and understanding.–Edna Lister, November 1, 1936

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Love is a combination of understanding, compassion and gratitude.–Edna Lister, May 30, 1937

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The Holy Grail is the chalice of love and compassion.–Edna Lister, October 10, 1937

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Stand on the sea of glass, lifting in love and praise, selflessness, tolerance, compassion for others, leaving them free, and letting them go as they will.–Edna Lister, June 12, 1938

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To express full compassion to the world spiritualizes your personality until everyone can see the Christ Light in you.
  Understanding, compassion and tenderness create a radiant personality, which draws all good to you.–Edna Lister, February 3, 1939

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To be compassionate is the Master’s prayer.–Edna Lister, February 7, 1939

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Once your life experiences teach you to go to God in faith, your soul’s ascension has begun. First, you act in faith for the self, then, you learn to go to God in compassion for others. In this way you learn selflessness, which is a hallmark of the Christed nature and behavior.–Edna Lister, April 30, 1939

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By trial and error, you learn that you cannot use faith without the balance of love, compassion, and understanding.–Edna Lister, May 7, 1939

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Watch yourself, lest you are the one found wanting in compassion.–Edna Lister, October, 18, 1939

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Compassion is your greatly treasured possession, for which you sell all that you have to buy it with great sacrifice of the self. All you truly possess is self, and in selling that, you replace it with compassionate immortality of soul.–Edna Lister, August 9, 1940

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Be kind and charitable, for God’s Love is the kindness of compassion, which always covers others’ nakedness of transgression.–Edna Lister, January 28, 1941

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Follow the Master’s ensample of compassion, peace, joy and service to God.–Edna Lister, July 31, 1941

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Love expresses patience, understanding, compassion and graciousness..–Edna Lister, May 30, 1943

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Be compassionate, but do not take the outer situation personally—just lift it.–Edna Lister, June 30, 1944

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Lifting means reaching to everyone who comes to you with arms of divine love, compassion and understanding. This is the high and glorious “lifting.”–Edna Lister, December 1945

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Only the love of compassion to lift all darkness that others commit can ever cleanse it from earth.–Edna Lister, February 26, 1949

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The more you see that needs lifting in another, the more compassionate you must become.–Edna Lister, July 13, 1949

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Charity is the pure compassion of the Almighty. Like sunshine, it shares itself with all. You get compassion when you give of yourself freely with no thought of self. Your life is a picture you paint, with foreground and background, light and dark, with richness of color and depth of view. Some people think compassion is sweetness, the perfect background.
  For example, many women bind their families by acting sweetly, but this has no depth of background for it lacks compassion. In the foreground, you paint that which is beautiful. Stroke for stroke, you paint your life for others to see. When darkness comes, that background does not darken. It is only a film over the white Christ Light to heighten the beauty of your brightness.
  God’s glorious charity, which is pure compassion that, like sunshine, shares itself with all. You get compassion when you give freely with no thought of self.
  Declare, “Faith, my highest moment of ecstasy, is now full of God’s glory. His hope, which is the goal of my life, now becomes my vision of humanity walking earth as gods. His compassion now becomes the substance of my perfect creations.”–Edna Lister, September 24, 1950

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Father Wisdom plans and builds the molds, Mother Love fills them with the same invisible Substance that forms your body, and Christ, the Son of Light, animates the filled molds, just as Spirit fills justice with mercy to form compassion.
  Complete surrender to be possessed of Light will lead you to become the servant of all Power, exercising compassion for everyone. Surrender is an act of soul.
  Everyone has to spend time on the receiving end of poverty to gain understanding and compassion.–Edna Lister, October 1, 1950

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When you lift others instead of complaining about them, you will see what a small problem they are; you will have understanding and compassion. Declare, “She is right where she is. It is her right to live as she desires until she completes her lessons.”–Edna Lister, October 8, 1950

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Understanding, compassion, and consideration for others’ feelings all grow from the ashes of your own immolated self.–Edna Lister, November 12, 1950

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Have compassion for your own frailties and your own slipping away from high ideals; this will begin to heal all your self-dealt wounds of guilt and self-blame.–Edna Lister, June 12, 1951

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“Blessed are merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”–Matthew 5:3. The virtues of the fifth Beatitude include graciousness, love, tenderness, mercy, and compassion. Sometimes it’s necessary to go through the vale of illusion or valley of grief. Otherwise, you might not express the slightest degree of compassion. All lessons teach you something about the harmony between will and desire. Learning compassion is all about how your desire and will agree and adjust with each other. –Edna Lister, June 24, 1951

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“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him.”–Matthew 5:25. To make peace, you must give, give, give of understanding, sympathy and compassion.
  “I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”–Matthew 5:44. First, love your neighbor as you love yourself, which is living by graciousness, loveliness, tenderness, mercy and compassion to attain soul freedom. Then only can you love your enemy as you love your self.–Edna Lister, July 15, 1951

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Have just as much compassion for the big shot as for the lowly one who has trouble.–Edna Lister, June 2, 1952

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Heavenly compassion replaces the earthly personal love. Compassion is better—it gives more, asks nothing, and satisfies the receiver.–Edna Lister, July 6, 1952

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Compassion nourishes, but sympathy starves the soul. No one can afford soft sympathy, but everyone can afford to be firmly compassionate. The compassion you send forth on the wings of God’s love is glorious, your protection and inspiration with which to create and become.–Edna Lister, October 5, 1952

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As you ascend, you find that you have more love and greater compassion to pour out on your loved ones. So you see their frailties only to lift, which is soul-satisfying to them, and draws them up. They may not know what draws them, but they love the glory of God’s love you are expressing and feel that you love them more than ever, which you do.–Edna Lister, October 12, 1952

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The law is, “Give, and you will receive.” Give enough love until you burst with compassion. Giving vitalizes everything!–Edna Lister, May 24, 1953

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Compassion holds the other fellow in his own place under God, or up to his highest point of honor.–Edna Lister, July 12, 1953

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Sympathy stops short of love, recognizes, names and declares the darkness, then commiserates sentimental pity. Those who live by the Christ Light ascend, declare all things good, and eliminate their inner conflicts of self. Brace him who needs compassion and his sympathizers, and love them equally. Love enough sends forth compassion that touches right and wrong to heal them.–Edna Lister, July 13, 1953

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Love is graciousness, compassion and all other glorious Godlike qualities combined, backed by Wisdom.–Edna Lister, October 4, 1953

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“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.”–Luke 10:27. “With all my heart” means having compassion for the world, with no blame anywhere, at any time, for anybody.–Edna Lister, October 4, 1953

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Love is both intuition and desire. When Love is ascending, it exalts intuition and lifts desire. Love ascends as desire to meet and mate with will. The perfect result is compassion operating under love’s mercy. You can be balanced only when you put selfish will on the crossbar so that the flames of desire burn away the dross as love ascends.
  You can always give the world compassion and understanding, knowing when and what to give through your intuition. Love has its own language of giving, understanding and compassion, and you must keep it flowing.–Edna Lister, October 18, 1953

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Christed consciousness is selfless love of God expressing as compassion for all humanity. Compassion toward one who is ill or in trouble is so easy. Compassion only for those in trouble is self that can make you feel superior, whether you recognize it or not. If you are ascending twenty-four-hours a day, you pour love and compassion on all.–Edna Lister, March 29, 1954

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I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.–Hebrews 8:10. “I will put my laws in their mind” is within them, not objective but subjective. “And write them on their hearts” includes compassion and understanding. Sympathy for weakness pushes down, but compassion adds strength and lifts up!
  A soul who has made high vows to ascend and pay his debts may live a life of such overwhelming difficulty that others are tempted to feel sorry for him. But sympathy, which is a sign of weakness, flips the self-pity switch. Hold such a soul in strengthening compassion instead.–Edna Lister, May 30, 1954

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All the good character and personality traits, such as graciousness, loveliness, compassion and dignity, grow from loving God and obeying law.–Edna Lister, June 20, 1954

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Poise results from surrender to be possessed by the fullness of all the Power of God, and only ever greater surrender gains comprehension, which causes compassion to move in the world. Compassion is the child of comprehension, and it descends when you ascend, expressing acceptance and humility. Poise and compassion are immovable on the stable foundation of God’s full Power, and nothing can touch you or move you from there. –Edna Lister, July 4, 1954

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Surrender to be possessed by the fullness of all the Power endows one with comprehension. From comprehension of this, compassion moves into the world.–Edna Lister, July 12, 1954

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Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.–Matthew 5:7. When compassion takes charge, you become a “defender of the faith of God.” Compassion is yours to spend lavishly, so use it to cover your loved ones’ transgressions until even God cannot see them! Thus, under law, they are cleansed when you declare that “All is good now.”
  Deal with everyone in compassion. This covers social, business, and family relationships. Rejoice! and ponder the glory of drawing forth Light from the Source, and erasing the other fellow’s blame with compassion. Rejoice gladly! moving up, glorifying God because His mercy has blotted out millions of your debts as well!–Edna Lister, October 31, 1954

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Your treasures in heaven are joy, faith, love, expectancy, devotion, compassion, understanding, and all soul qualities, which the world calls character.–Edna Lister, January 15, 1956

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Righteous judgment, under impersonal logic and reasoning, must be tempered by compassion to be perfectly balanced and just.–Edna Lister, February 5, 1956

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Charity is your love for God moving forth as compassion.–Edna Lister, February 12, 1956

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Law never allows you to settle down once you start walking the path of soul ascension. You outgrow last year’s ideals, and you may even outgrow the people, places and things you have loved the most. Yet, you cannot return to or squeeze yourself into yesterday’s narrow, confining quarters. The old is not bad, but less good.
  To help you accept a goal, you receive an endowment of heavenly, loving compassion to trade in for old personal affection. Compassion is better, gives more freedom for all, and has no “me” or “mine” in it. No one ever misses your old ways of loving.–Edna Lister, March 11, 1956

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A true minister lifts self and serves from the soul, day and night with compassion flowing from the heart. Some people can feel tall only by toppling another. Let them. Lift them to a cloud continent of Light, and ignore their provocation. Let nothing nick the surface of your love. Leave the martyrs in their mud puddles and scratchy long underwear. Have compassion for them, but do not cater to a martyr.–Edna Lister, July 22, 1956

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Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.–Galatians 6:1. This verse is all about the law of compassion. If you dare to search for some fault in another, give up your own burden of self and lay it on the altar.–Edna Lister, September 16, 1956

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Light runs your body with perfect economy, constantly rebuilding a new body-sheath. The River of Life flowing through you holds the body in renewed form. Love becomes your common denominator in life. The rate of vibration you maintain between your heaven and your earth uses you in beauty and glory, and love’s expression through you creates forgetfulness of self. Your attitude toward your fellow man becomes compassionate as you desire to give and to do more according to love’s life. –Edna Lister, December 9, 1956

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Only when you find, hold, and express the love of God, can you properly evaluate your earthly loves, or express enough compassion to really love, not in spite of, but just because I love you.–Edna Lister, February 11, 1957

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You will know you have compassion when you can stand aside and watch lovingly when others commit some foolish wrong. You will know that to “let” others choose their own path is the right way for you when you can pray and love each lesson and experience, even the tribulations, the tests, trials, and temptations. No longer is it difficult to obey, because “What is that to thee?” has become your way. You know that to be lifted is to lift, and to bind up the hurts of others heals your own stripes. You become untouchable in gentleness, immovable in compassion.–Edna Lister, October 20, 1957

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I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. –John 12:32. Everyone has someone else who is dependent upon his expression of strength and courage. Everyone is lifting up someone else. Everyone has the deep desire to lift someone higher and higher. This requires that you constantly increase your effort in seeking God first and more eagerly so you may be more agreeable in all your contacts. It means reaching forth to everyone who comes to you with arms of love, compassion and understanding.–Edna Lister, Spring 1958, International New Thought Alliance Quarterly Magazine

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View spiritual pygmies and retrogressed souls in compassion and love. If it agitates them into fury, love is bringing them to life, and you can pour in more beneficent beams.–Edna Lister, February 6, 1958

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Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.–Mark 6:34. Jesus was not in another place, as in the sense of being in another room or building. He emerged from the golden silence, had compassion on the souls of his Father’s flock, and began to teach them of His love.–Edna Lister, April 27, 1958

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When you lean on true mother love, it does not collapse, nor do you fall through it, which is the difference between softness and tenderness, between sentiment and compassion. You can lean on tenderness and compassion, but soft sentimentality is dry rot that collapses.–Edna Lister, May 11, 1958

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You, the soul, really must suffer before you can be compassionate. Until then you are just becoming compassionate.–Edna Lister, Revelation, June 10, 1958

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.–Matthew 5:7. Compassion is the keynote of mercy. The mystery is that compassion absorbs doubt, fear and dread until you finally learn what true love really is.–Edna Lister, June 15, 1958

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Use three modes of action for perfect speech: Sweetly, firmly and finally. This is the only way to hold to your choice and defend your standpoint without fearing that self will shove you off your point of poise. Decide where you want to live. Meet every ugliness that others can produce with a sweet, firm tone, using words that reveal your compassionate consideration of the soul to whom you speak. You may use nothing but sweetness when you speak with compassion.
  Notice the tone of your voice. A too-sweet saccharine tone reveals a desire to make everyone conform to your way, or may cover a revenge motive. Most marital difficulties arise from a tone of voice. Criticism descends to the horizontal dimension, but you have no enemies when you ascend. Make your words so firm and brisk that others cannot ignore or discount them, yet so filled with honor and loyalty to God, founded in such a deep conviction of truth, that your listener knows they are reasonable. Your tone is firm and final when you love from this height.–Edna Lister, June 22, 1958

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Mankind’s law of compassion is "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."–Matthew 5:7.–Edna Lister, September 8, 1958

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Once you give enough compassion, you free yourself of being hurt because you are so busy being compassionate.–Edna Lister, September 8, 1958

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Compassion is a composite of peace, patience, and love. Let it use you.–Edna Lister, December 12, 1958

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You do not use compassion, but it uses you.–Edna Lister, December 18, 1958

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God’s love toward man is compassion.–Edna Lister, March 26, 1959.

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Divine inspiration expands you upward in ascension and outward in compassion.–Edna Lister, May 3, 1959

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The law of love dictates that you view everyone about you compassionately.–Edna Lister, May 4, 1959

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Each is given a supply of compassionate wisdom that creates a complete gentle firmness of loving. Be firm about law, but compassionate with all.–Edna Lister, June 29, 1959

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This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.–1 John 1:5-7. You can have “fellowship one with another” if you walk in Light. Fellowship is compassionate understanding of the other fellow. You never know when a gentle word falls like a seed on fertile ground.–Edna Lister, October 4, 1959

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Feel only compassion for those misusing Light, and desire for them to ascend to walk in Light. This is not tolerating darkness or evil, but reminds you that this soul is creating soul debts with his misuse. He will, at some future point when he has repented, be shown the record of your compassion. Declare a Light bomb is dropped on him, and Light works because “Not I, but the Father does the work.” Faith unconquerable radiates as you keep it shining, and Light strengthens your aura against darkness. A Light bomb lifts whatever comes to you, and is a sure cure for floating entities, which cannot bear Light. Keep a bomb of Light on hand, and if they dare touch it, they go poof!–Edna Lister, November 8, 1959

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You can boil all truth into one statement: Truth is full comprehension of God and loving compassion toward men.–Edna Lister, November 23, 1959

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Compassion is not sloppy sentimentality, but love, born of knowing that everyone must travel the wilderness of self.–Edna Lister, December 13, 1959

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The Elect will eventually ascend and enfold everyone and everything for God, through love for Him and compassion for humanity.–Edna Lister, April 17, 1960

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Jesus gave us the perfect patterns for integrity, honor and justice in the Sermon on the Mount. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.–Matthew 6:22 is the pattern by which anyone can expand, grow and become as a true creator god. With the faith of God, you can grow, expand, express more compassion and pay more debts for those who are helpless yet need to ascend. He has given you the pattern and it’s your loss if you substitute another life style.–Edna Lister, May 22, 1960

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Anything that makes you less than loving compassion, is your master.–Edna Lister, June 27, 1960

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Compassion is the fragrance of God’s love moving forth to entice, to comfort and to make another feel wanted and important. Compassion is the arms of the Father reaching to His children as He says, I know your hurt, but look up. See my Light and the glories I have waiting for you here. Just one step further, child. I’ll lift you to take another while my love is absorbing the hurt and the darkness. Soon you shall feel my deep love moving through you. Joy will seep in and take over your heart. Come up, child, just a step further, and another one. Each step makes your body lighter until you shall feel my arms upholding you.–Edna Lister, December 5, 1960

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Compassion is how you express the love of God. When what you send forth returns as less than compassion, you are not exercising pure compassion. When you exercise compassion, you are not thinking of self.–Edna Lister, January 25, 1961

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When you live the laws of love and compassion, the “greater works” begin to show in your daily life, body, face, eyes, and words. All of Jesus’ teachings have outlined this as the Way of the Christ.–Edna Lister, March 31, 1961

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Self looks backward and down, saying, “I have given,” and demands more. Soul looks upward and onward, declaring, “Let me give more” in love and compassion.–Edna Lister, May 1, 1961

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Open your heart wide to love and compassion, and use them as stepping stones to God. Move into this place from whence every good and perfect gift descends.–Edna Lister, June 18, 1961

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The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.–Matthew 6:22-23. Focus your eyes singly on the Light, and you will not see others being fuzzy in their focus. Let love rule through you as the Light shining through your eyes. Be so busy with the Light that the world cannot bother you. Be compassionate and loving without paying attention to darkness or to what is happening on earth. Pay attention only to lift people and situations into the Light.–Edna Lister, June 25, 1961

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A state of grace consists of compassion plus the love of God.–Edna Lister, December 10, 1961

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Your compassion for others determines the height of your ascension.–Edna Lister, Song of the Lamb, December 17, 1961

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You must have compassion for yourself to have the gospel of peace.–Edna Lister, March 25, 1962

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The dictionary defines compassion as “the sorrow or pity aroused when another is suffering.” You need to know the difference between sentimental sympathy and brisk lifting, loving compassion. Compassion can only come with and through understanding. Through your identity with God comes your compassion for men. Your compassion can never be any greater than your comprehension of God.
  Grace is a state of consciousness caused by or including taking in, grasping as true and holding fast to God as truth. A state of grace grows from your comprehension of the love of God as your Source, and your expression of it as compassion toward your fellow man. When you have compassion for yourself, and your consciousness acts as one at all levels, you will know and live by the gospel of peace.–Edna Lister, May 6, 1962

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Flexibility is the ability to change instantly. Cultivate a brooding yearning selfless compassionate understanding, to bend under pressure, but not break. Each has a niche in God’s great tower, the structure of God’s plan reaching up to the Source. When another falls out of his niche, silently lift him, brush him off and paste him back in his place with love. The miracle depends on the holding power of your love. Sometimes you must hold himm close in your own niche, until his strength is sufficient to hold him in his own place. Your love nust be a well-mixed epoxy compound of compassion, faith, trust and a brooding yearning love with enough holding power to lift another lift into his own Light and to hold his own place. This is the work of the Elect.–Edna Lister, May 13, 1962

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Many are called but few are chosen because so many refuse to live under vows of sacrifice of self and forgiveness. You must have compassionate love for everyone regardless of what they do.–Edna Lister, December 16, 1962

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Wear your armor so nothing can get through to disturb you. Hold everyone in compassionate love, but hold them out there, not by taking them into your aura—in other words, react in a Christ-like impersonal way, not in sympathy.–Edna Lister, June 9, 1963

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Love God enough, and you will see only the love of God during every test, not darkness. God shows you what you are through these tests. If your heart is clean enough, you have only compassion for the other fellow.–Edna Lister, June 30, 1963

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When you lack compassion for the world, the judgmental residue clogs the lymph glands.–Edna Lister, September 5, 1963

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Jesus knew each soul’s history at a glance and made a just appraisal of all who contacted him. The gift of making a just appraisal comes only by developing complete universal compassion with no possibility of misuse of Power. Jesus knew each disciple’s potential, how far they were from making a just appraisal of others and achieving their own potential. A good teacher for God works to awaken a student to bring forth and develop his potential. This is ascension, the compassionate unfolding of a soul’s potential.–Edna Lister, April 19, 1964

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The Ten Commandments are ten laws that must be obeyed. The nine beatitudes are nine ways to express universal compassion to our fellow man.–Edna Lister, May 22, 1964

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Proverbs 4:1-13 lists the rewards for seeking wisdom and understanding. Love and wisdom, in perfect balance, create compassion, which is understanding. This confers the boldness it takes to stand. Understanding and compassion are other names for facets of love. A perfect balance of love and wisdom operates in your life as the law of nonresistance, which is the most powerful law in the universe.–Edna Lister, October 4, 1964

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Mercy is defined as “compassion shown by one to another who is in his power and has no claim to kindness.” Such so-called mercy is not mercy when it carries an obligation of reciprocity or repayment.–Edna Lister, October 11, 1964

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Look into the face of evil and call it good. Do not hate dishonest politicians who should not even be in Washington, but have compassion for them. The lure of financial gain to too great for their flabby ethics. To cleanse the government’s Augean stables, you must first cleanse yourself of opinions, prejudices and blame.
  God has not cleaned up the world because the good people are too lukewarm and indifferent to release enough Power and speak the Word. The evil ones are afraid of the truth. They try to silence good by misleading the gullible public, just as they did in Jesus’ time. We must cleanse the atmosphere. The words of Jesus are echoing here and now. In a cleansed atmosphere, his words can impress the hearts and minds of men. Speak the Word!–Edna Lister, November 1, 1964

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“Father, forgive me, lest I cause my brother to stumble.” This is the degree of forgiveness in Christed compassion.–Edna Lister, December 6, 1964

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Pure compassion enables you to see through the walls that self builds.–Edna Lister, April 8, 1965

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Be compassionate but not sympathetic. Compassion says, I wish I could lift you out of this, but sympathy pours more emotion on the other’s load.–Edna Lister, July 31, 1965

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Compassion is empathy, not sympathy but complete understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives.–Edna Lister, July 31, 1965

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Health of body and alertness of mind fill you when you hold loving compassion for the whole world.–Edna Lister, November 14, 1965

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Brace your compassion with the firm love of God, and the knowledge that each is ascending as he learns his lessons and pays his debts.–Edna Lister, January 19, 1966

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Purity of heart includes praise above and compassion below. Purity of mind permits no wandering thought or idle words, just mentally singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Purity of purpose means that your goal is ascension and immortality. Who gave anyone the guarantee that to be happy was the goal of life on earth? Aristotle said it, he was wrong to do so, and that idea has misled men for more than 2,000 years!–Edna Lister, June 5, 1966

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Speak boldly, but not aggressively, using loving, kind and compassionate words. Declare, “I am an ambassador in bonds of faith, love and joy, acting now as compassion.”–Edna Lister, November 13, 1966

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Meet life’s challenges with “This is good! Let there be Light!” Then your devotion, strength, love and compassion are great enough to change any situation, any failure, any lesser thing into a miracle of God’s glory.–Edna Lister, November 13, 1966

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Compassion is the highest vibration of the elastic relative law of tolerance, under the principle of equilibrium.–Edna Lister, November 20, 1967

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Have great compassion and understanding for your adversaries, especially when they are obnoxious. Keep them on clouds and say, “Stay there!” Lifting them is forgiving, giving love for, forgiving seventy times seven. This becomes automatic as you keep declaring the Light for them. This triumph of conquering is God acting as you.–Edna Lister, December 18, 1966

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Prayer can change the words on others’ lips into Light. Pray for the soul who curses that the Light will go forth on his words, that he will have compassion, express all good, all love. A bad curse can be a prayer on that degree if you declare it so. Declare that their curse is changed to a higher degree. How could you gain your crown if you had no one out there for whom to pray?–Edna Lister, December 5, 1967

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When compassion descends into sympathy, you work out the other’s soul debts with him and for him. Is this really what you want?–Edna Lister, April 28, 1968

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When yearning, brooding compassion must flow over the poison of self-exaltation, it taints it.–Edna Lister, November 14, 1968

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Our goal is complete compassionate comprehension of others without self involvement.–Edna Lister, November 23, 1969

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You must have compassion for those who question you. Don’t be irritated by their questions no matter how annoying.–Edna Lister, December 6, 1970

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Moral softness is no good. Don’t pamper the self in others. Be compassionate, but not like Jell-O.–Edna Lister, May 27, 1971

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New Testament on Compassion

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.–Matthew 5:7

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.–Matthew 5:42

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.–Matthew 7:12

Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.–Matthew 10:42

There is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.–Mark 12:32‑33

As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.–Luke 6:31

Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.–Luke 6:36

Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.–Luke 23:34

I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.–John 13:15-17

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.–John 13:34‑35

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.–John 15:12-13

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.–Hebrews 4:12-16

Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God.–Hebrews 5:1‑4

We count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.–James 5:11.

Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.–1 Peter 3:8‑9

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.–Romans 13:8-10

He who loveth God love his brother also.–1 John 4:21

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.–James 2:8‑10

Be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.–1 Corinthians 14:20

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