The shore was just littered with stones; no shells, just rock after rock smoothed by rubbing against each other and the sand. As the waves rolled over them and withdrew, they made a tinkling sound like a wind chime. Yet, this one stone stood out from the others. The colour was nothing special; just a dull grey cube, rounded on the corners. But it had the beginnings of a smooth round hole on the top.

I could not tell if the dished-out section was man-made or was just from some natural process. I just knew that it drew my attention. What is its story? It did not have a voice to tell me. Was it waiting for me to notice? Was it calling for me to pick it up? It did feel that way.

How often do we just walk by a wounded soul without noticing the hole that is being dug in their life? Wounds placed on them by the hand of others, or some process of life. Hoping someone would notice, stop, and lift them up. They do not always have a voice to cry out for help. They tend to blend in with those around them, tossed to and fro, by the process of life. 

Lazarus was passed by, by society. He lay there broken and wounded by life. He did not have a voice. If he did it was drowned out by the roar of those around him. He was laid in plain sight of the rich man who was well able to provide him help, but the rich man walked right by each day, going on his way, and not hearing or caring about the silent cry of the sick man (Luke 16: 19-31). 

We are all broken in one way or another. We tend to think the battle is only ours. We hide the pain and cover up the wounds so others will not see, and at the same time, they are doing just as we are. We are all in need of a Saviour. One who will hear our cry for help, stop, and lift us up.

We are called to hear the cry of others. ‘I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.’ (1 Timothy 2:1 NIV). Prayers are to be sent up for those we love, prayers for those in authority, and prayers for those whose struggles we may not understand and have compassion for.

We, ourselves, are the recipients of prayers from others, the compassion of others; our cry has surely been heard as well by our Saviour and Lord. ‘Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.’ (Hebrews 7: 25). ‘Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died–more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.’  (Romans 8:34). 

Love and compassion are poured out daily upon us all by God.

Prayer
Precious God, I pray the words of Isaiah 33:2: ‘Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress.’ As you have had compassion for us, may we as well learn this compassion from you; to love the broken hearted and wounded of this world and to lift them up to you in our prayers. In Jesus’s name, Amen.