The word “compassionate” is the very first word God uses to describe himself to Moses on Mount Sinai. It might be surprising to learn that compassion is a deeply emotional word—one used to convey the strong bond between a parent and their child. God is portrayed as a compassionate parent throughout Scripture—both as a mother and a father. And he is shown to respond to the cries of his people not only with deep emotion but also with action. Ultimately, the compassion of Yahweh is embodied in the person of Jesus, who lives and dies to take humanity’s suffering upon himself and restore the bond between God and humanity. As followers of Jesus, we too are called to embody the compassion of Yahweh and extend his deep care to our community and world.