The physiological impact of the compassion of Christ
Recently I have been ruminating on the concept of ‘self-compassion’ which I would distinguish from ‘self-pity’. I make this distinction because obviously self-pity conjures negative associations, whereas for me self-compassion intuitively sounds more positive.
That said, I struggle enormously with self-compassion. That’s just the way it is. There’s no doubt that I extend to others a compassion I am unwilling to extend to myself. There’s a plethora of reasons underpinning this anomaly and this is a facet of my personality that I’m discovering is rather dysfunctional.
For me, the knock on effect of this is that I struggle with the compassion of Christ. It is simply very difficult for me to accept His compassion. I know His compassion in my brain, but not in my heart.
The entire Gospel accounts convey a heart bursting with compassion for the sons of men. We see great swells of emotion emanating from our saviour in the face of our suffering; as a mother for a child.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that the entire Gospel may be encompassed within Matthew 9:36:
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
And yet I struggle.
I was intrigued to read an article in Psychology Today on the beneficial impact of self-compassion:
The power of self-compassion is not just an idea – it’s very real and actually manifests in our bodies. When we soothe our own pain we are tapping into the mammalian care-giving system. And one important way the care-giving system works is by triggering the release of oxytocin. Research indicates that increased levels of oxytocin strongly increase feelings of trust, calm, safety, generosity, and connectedness,and facilitates the ability to feel warmth and compassion for ourselves. Oxytocin is released in a variety of social situations, including when a mother breastfeeds her child, when parents interact with their young children, or when someone gives or receives a soft, tender caress. Because thoughts and emotions have the same effect on our bodies whether they’re directed to ourselves or to others, this research suggests that self-compassion may be a powerful trigger for the release of oxytocin.
[.....]
When we soothe our painful feelings with the healing balm of self-compassion, not only are we changing our mental and emotional experience, we’re also changing our body chemistry. An effective aspect of self-compassion practice, therefore, is to tap into our body’s self-healing system through physical sensations.
I often wonder if those enabled to deeply appreciate the compassion of Christ for their own souls, would more readily have self-compassion. This makes for logical sense in my mind.
I would suspect that for those who can feel the compassion of Christ experience all of the physiological benefits described above.
I try to self-convince that if Christ can have compassion and forgiveness for me, then surely I can have the same approach for myself.
But it doesn’t work. Something is broken.
Tags: Christian Life
July 2nd, 2012 at 11:06 pm
They don’t care. Don’t bother.
July 2nd, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Unless people understand that God is in agony, and have a share in His agony, they are not in the Cross and will not have a share in His heart.
If you are not offended by sin, if you are not in any agony, then you are not sharing in His heart.
This is a protestant minister but it’s the most important thing I’ve watched all year. It’s very Passionist and I agree with every word he says here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayYizi9TZAQ&feature=player_embedded
July 3rd, 2012 at 1:15 am
Sorry. I should have said something more in tune with what you wrote.
If a two-year-old sees his brother being abused, it is hard for him to think of himself, especially if the abuse is horrific and constant. That is why self-compassion for those who are mentally ill and who are sorrowing over the agony of God is very difficult. It’s difficult because it’s not something you can really think of when all of this is in front of you.
In some things, I think on the level of a child. That is why my spiritual director has one rule for me…to “be gentle with myself” (That’s the only rule…and when applied, big things often happen with me.) Being in obedience to that rule has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
July 3rd, 2012 at 1:18 am
Shutting my blog down is being gentle with myself. It’s allowing myself to sit on the sidewalk while the cars rush by and run over Jesus.
July 3rd, 2012 at 9:22 pm
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…”
Seems like a qualifier, no? Do we set the standard for our own forgiveness? Countless parables told by Jesus would indicate that this is so. The question remains: Can we see ourselves in the 3rd person? After all, the sinful “me” is not the essential me who God created to be one with him. Can we forgive ourselves for the distance we establish between us and God? His Grace will help us to recover – if only we can forgive ourselves.
July 6th, 2012 at 5:47 am
Look around you every day and observe people, compassion is just around the corner
July 9th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
[...] (so to speak), particularly if you’re in the middle of a manic episode and suicidal. I think self-compassion is a better term than self-love, for purposes of ministering to people with mental illness who have [...]