Why Compassion Matters Now More Than Ever

As the new year approached, I found myself struggling. My family was invited to several holiday activities, and while they were filled with memorable moments, I have to admit that I wasn’t fully present.

Each time I left an event, I found myself getting back into the car to drive to parts of town where some of my friends experiencing homelessness were battling the cold.

On three separate occasions, I called an ambulance for friends who were in the early stages of hypothermia and stayed with two of them in the hospital.

Thankfully, each received the critical help they needed—thank God for cellphones.

Helping some of my friends get medical support in cold weather.

This past holiday season was filled with moments of joy—being with family and friends and honoring the memory of my father during our first holidays without him. But alongside that joy, I reflected on what I consider my extended family—those who live on the streets.

These are the people I visit, laugh with, and stand with weekly through my work with Love Beyond Walls. Family, for me, isn’t just about blood; it’s about connection and community.

The moment that solidified compassion as my guiding word for the new year was realizing how much distance has defined our cultural climate over the past four years.

An ethic grounded in love feels like the only way to bridge the distance and separation that has caused so many to feel isolated. It’s a way of rebuilding connection and reminding us of our shared humanity.

That urgency struck even harder when the national report on homelessness was released toward the end of December. The report revealed an 18% increase in homelessness in 2024 and cited a lack of accessible, affordable housing and other systemic issues as the primary causes.¹

In the days leading up to the new year, I kept returning to one word—compassion.

It’s a word that is often overused, sometimes misrepresented, and burdened with unfortunate connotations. But in its purest form, compassion holds the strength of what our world needs more of.

I’m not talking about a polished, performative kind of compassion. I’m talking about unfiltered, nonjudgmental, messy, proximate, and unconditional compassion.

Henri Nouwen described it beautifully:

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”²

This kind of compassion was exemplified by my friend Tony’s story, whom I had the privilege of interviewing on my Imagine Dignity Podcast.

Tony had been sleeping in front of an abandoned building, facing the harsh realities of life without shelter.

Through community support and his unwavering faith and resilience, Tony recently secured housing, a significant step toward stability and dignity.

Today, I am reclaiming this word.

As we approach MLK Day later this month, I recommit myself to an ethic of compassion and love. I am reminded of how important my faith, my life’s work, and the practice of compassion are at this moment.

I’m not here to preach or tell anyone how compassion should shape their year, but I do encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on what the word means to them personally.

When was the last time you truly experienced compassion? How did it make you feel? Reflecting on these moments can deepen our understanding of its transformative power.

From there, consider how you might share compassion with those around you, especially those who need support.

It could be as simple as showing up for someone who feels unseen, standing with someone in a moment of hardship, or offering tangible help to those struggling. Compassion doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be present.

So I ask: Who will you show compassion to? Who will you see? Who will you stand with? And how will you reclaim compassion as an act of goodness in this world?

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Listen to the Imgaine Dignity Podcast [HERE]

Order “Zion Learns To See: Opening Our Eyes To Homelessness” [HERE]

If you want to explore homelessness in the U.S., please consider reading “I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes to Invisible People.”

Explore my book “When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together” to learn about the impact of community involvement and collective action on social change.

Discover “All God’s Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity to gain insight into the significance of understanding the historical narratives that shape people and how you might stand in solidarity with your neighbor.

Or, subscribe to the Love Beyond Walls Newsletter—by visiting the site and signing up.

1. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “U.S. Homelessness Rose by Record 18% in 2024, HUD Reports.” HUD.gov, December 27, 2024. https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/hud_no_24_327.

2. Henri Nouwen Society. “Compassion.” Henri Nouwen Society. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://henrinouwen.org/meditations/compassion/