November 15, 2009: The Mother God – Michael Hidalgo

Each time the word compassion is used in the Gospels it is always accompanied by action … and really it has to be. The Greek word for compassion speaks of the deepest place of the emotions. Compassion is when that “seat” of the emotions is disturbed. If it is disturbed, something has to be done. 

What is fascinating about the Greek word splanchna and the Hebrew word for compassion rechum is that they both were also used to speak of the womb. The picture of the deepest place of the emotions, and the deep seeded feelings of a person connect to the womb of a mother. 

When we are moved inside of us on behalf of someone else, we become like a mother. A mother who when she sees her child in pain or in suffering only wants to comfort her child because the child is a part of her. When we see suffering and are filled with compassion and moved to act it is because we see the other as someone who is like us. When we are moved inside the comfort others we are like a mother … and also like God herself.