Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice and Weep With Those Who Weep

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An alternate title would be “Cultivate Compassion For All People.” Compassion if a major quality of God’s character, unlike the character of any pagan god (see Psalm 145). The title quotes Romans 12:15. A parallel scripture is 1 Corinthians 12:25-26. Compassion includes sympathy, empathy and support (weeping) for anyone who is grieving or suffering. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4). Compassion also includes sincere celebrating (rejoicing) with people when they have good news (Luke 15:3-10). True Christianity is uniquely the religion of compassion. In a world dominated by hardness of heart and even sadistic cruelty, we must cultivate compassion.
Donald Hooser

Don Hooser is a minister for the United Church of God. He lives in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.  He and his wife Elsie had three children, and she died in August 2020.  Don married Judy in January 2022.  Mr. Hooser graduated in 1963 from Southern Methodist University with a degree in mechanical engineering, and graduated in 1966 from Ambassador College, Big Sandy, Texas.  For most of the time since then, he served as the pastor of churches in Ohio, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. From 2011 until his retirement in 2021, his primary responsibility was answering the many letters written to the Church.