ON THIS GOOD FRIDAY, the day Christ was crucified, I contemplated what I would write. I had two topics in mind—suffering and compassion. Then I realized I needn’t choose one. I could focus on both.
Christ died a cruel and agonizing death. There is no denying that. Yet, even in his betrayal, his pain, his intense suffering, he showed compassion to the end. And beyond the end. We can learn a lot from Jesus.
We all experience suffering in life. That’s a given in our humanity. Right now I have friends going through some really rough stuff within their immediate and extended families. A one-year-old on life support. A nephew dead in a tragic car accident. Another battling advanced cancer. Ongoing and new health issues. It can feel like a lot. And to think otherwise would be to deny the challenges facing people about whom I care deeply. There are days when I feel overwhelmed by all the suffering in this world and beyond. Enough already, I want to scream.
But then I recognize that I can either be dragged down by it or I can do as Christ did—show compassion. I can be that person who listens. I can be that person who offers encouraging words. I can be that person who mails an uplifting greeting card with a personal note. I can be that person who connects and shows care in tangible ways and sets aside my anguish to focus on those at the center of challenges.
This is not the time to pull out my own stories and compare, thus putting the focus on me. This is not the time for me to tell anyone how to think, feel or act. This is not the time to offer advice. This is the time to simply be there. To listen. To hug. To pray, but to take my compassion beyond thoughts and prayers.
I am a major advocate of listening. It is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give to someone who is grieving, in crisis, in the throes of health or other challenges. Listening doesn’t seem to come easily for most people. It takes a conscious, focused effort. But at its core, listening is easy. It requires keeping one’s mouth closed, for starters. And then it necessitates concentrating, taking in every word, every nuance, body language and detail.
By nature, I am a quiet observer. I don’t need to be, want to be, the loudest person in the room pushing my ideas or opinions or recommendations. I know too many individuals who fit that self-centered persona. They exhaust me and, yes, sometimes even anger me. Quiet compassion and listening center me.
Today, as I reflect on the life and death of Christ, I see someone who showed great compassion throughout his time on earth. He witnessed and understood suffering. He experienced emotions. He felt pain. Yes, I can learn a lot from Jesus. About loving. About listening. About showing compassion, even in suffering.
TELL ME: How do you show compassion to those who are facing challenges?
© Copyright 2023 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Maundy Thursday reflections April 2, 2026
Tags: art, Christ, commentary, disciples, faith, Holy Week, Jesus, Jesus' betrayal, John 13:34, love one another, Maundy Thursday, paint-by-number, Scripture, The Last Supper
IMAGINE IF YOU were sitting down to your last meal with dear friends. How would you feel? What would you say to them?
Jesus faced this scenario on Maundy Thursday as he gathered with his 12 disciples for a final Passover meal before his death by crucifixion the next day. Had it been me, I would have been terrified at the thought of such an agonizing death.
Christ showed incredible strength. He managed to continue teaching, loving, forgiving, even as the time of his death approached. He was certainly troubled, as Scripture tells us. I mean, how could he not be bothered, knowing that one of his disciples would betray him, with a kiss of all things? I would feel devastated.
But Jesus is not anyone. He embodies love. And he tells us to love. Correction, he commands his disciples (and us, too) to love each other. He says: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).
As I consider all the division and hatred among us today, I focus on Christ and his example of unconditional love. Throughout his earthly life, Jesus continually showed compassion and care, often to the downtrodden, the outcasts, the lowly. I’m quite certain if he was physically walking on this earth today, he would still be showing such mercy.
He’d also be greatly disappointed, even upset, about the way we sometimes treat each other.
So what’s the point here? Maundy Thursday marks a monumental day for reflection. For change. For striving to follow Christ’s directive to love one another. And that starts with each of us. Today.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling