"Compassion born in solitude makes us very much aware of our own historicity. We are not called to respond to generalities but to the concrete facts with which we are confronted day after day. A compassionate man can no longer look at these manifestations of evil and death as disturbing interruptions of his life plan but rather has to confront them as an opportunity for the conversion of himself and his fellow human beings. Every time in history that men and women have been able to respond to the events of their world as an occasion to change their hearts, an inexhaustible source of generosity and new life has been opened, offering hope far beyond the limits of human prediction." Henri Nouwen

Jesus had compassion on the people of his day, who were like sheep without a shepherd. Out of this compassion he ministered to them and their hearts were touched. God is calling us not to close our eyes on the struggles of people around us. While we can't change everything, our compassion, expressed in concern will bring about a new change in us to be able to do what God wants us to do. As God has had compassion for us in our struggles, so he is asking us to show the same compassion for others.