Back in the 80s, a young Nigerian man named Chijioke dreamed of becoming a professional volleyballer. He had the physique and the height, which propelled his interest. So, he took part in the screening for the selection of representatives in a national competition. There was a draft where the good players were selected to bolster their squad, and it goes from round 1 to 10 for professionals to be selected. Chijioke was dropped at the 4th round, but he continued to come to support other competitors.
Chijioke’s performance was not impressive to the scouts who did the selection. He was said to be slow, awkward, and didn’t seem to have the X factor. Still, he believed he could be of help to others in the field. Something spectacular happened. Chijioke was spotted talking to another player named Kabiru, who was dropped at the 8th round. Chijioke felt the need to have a conversation with him to know why he was dropped, having gone that far. Kabiru told him he wore oversized shoes, which affected his speed that day. Chijioke felt compassion on Kabiru, gave him his shoes, and went to the collage scout to explain Kabiru’s predicament, asking that Kabiru be given another chance to participate. When the collage scout didn’t consider his request, he proceeded to the collage captain, and at last, his request was granted.
The compassion, love, and commitment of Chijioke touched the captains who knew that Chijioke was one of the competitors yet decided to advocate for another competitor. More surprising is the fact that Kabiru is from another tribe and religion with Chijioke, and they never knew each other. In an afterthought, the patriots of the competition not only gave Kabiru a chance to repeat the competition with the right size of shoes but also Chijioke was told to join Kabiru at the same level even though he failed at the 3rd level. Motivated by this act of compassion, both Chijioke and Kabiru scaled through in the 8th and up to the 10th round. They were both selected for the national competition.
In 2022, Chijioke retired at the age of 47. Since he was picked as an afterthought, he had broken every record by a mile, most career wins, most touchdown passes, most completions, most yards gained. And he had won 12 competitions, more than any individual or team in history. The player nobody thought was good became the best after his singular act of compassion to another. Could it be that God favoured him for his compassion or that his morale was boosted after his compassionate act towards Kabiru?
Compassion is a motivation. It promotes social connection amongst individuals. It is the emotional and physical response we give to people who need hope at a particular time, aimed at relieving their pain or reducing their suffering. It is sympathetic and a conscious effort we have to alleviate the burden of others by helping them in any way we can.
God is compassionate. Jesus demonstrated compassion in many verses of the bible, and their are many parables in the bible that teach compassion. Jesus fed the crowd, healed the sick, raised the dead, and did many good works out of compassion.
We are called to live a life of compassion, irrespective of our tribe, nationality, or religion. Economic inequality and structural injustice still exist today because of a lack of compassion. Charity and philanthropy, no matter the generosity behind it, can not work smoothly without compassion. Pious prayers or words of consolation are not substitutes for compassion. We must act with compassion towards others as God has acted towards us. Even if we have no material possession to offer, we can offer compassion in many ways, like Chijioke did.
In the world of compassion, only the compassionate are blessed. Showing compassion starts from home and in school. Parents and teachers need to model compassionate behaviour. They need to talk early enough about care, feelings, and emotions to children and explain when their behaviour hurt others. They need to talk about how other people matter and that others have feelings that must be considered when relating to them. They need to emphasize the importance of reaching others and helping in their needs. The need to be kind, accommodating, sharing, complimenting, and helpful.
When children are on the right cognitive level, it is important they learn compassion and other moral virtues. Otherwise, they’ll grow up being self-centered, inconsiderate, and non compassionate. This may birth abuse, aggression, toxicity, narcissism, and other vices if not controlled. Deficit in effective compassion is a very dangerous dead end for a child. Every child needs to know the difference between self care and serving others, and they need to achieve a balance between the two.
Obviously, there’s a crisis of compassion in this generation. Studies have shown that children in college are 40% less compassionate compared to their peers 30 years ago. Technology has taken the place of emotional literacy, which they presently learn with emojis, facing the screen inside of facing each other. Aside addictive technology are other factors like super competitive parents, the rise of celebrity culture, the disappearance of playtime, and communal living.
It only takes a moment to be compassionate, and it’s forgotten, but to someone who needed it, it can last a lifetime. This generation is so detached from compassion because they look down instead of looking up, and compassion can not be achieved looking down.
BIBLE VERSE
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience
PROVERB
Compassion is that perfume that can not be poured on others without getting a few drops on oneself
Traditional Proverb
RIDDLE
Capable of kindness and cruelty, I take victims when I sour. I can be on your side or wrong you. I bring gifts though you already have me. What am I?
Amara Ann Unachukwu
