A mild little boy, not known for being ugly or mean, was being chastised and about to be punished for pulling a little girl’s hair. His mother asked him, “Son, why did you do it? That’s just not like you.”

“Mama,” he responded, “I just got tired of being good all the time.”

It happens to all of us, doesn’t it? We get tired of being good. But it’s not just a periodic getting tired now and then – the truth is we get worn out – being Christian and practicing ministry wears us out. We talk about fatigue in all sorts of ways – what I’m talking about could be designated “compassion fatigue.”

Boil it all down, refine it to its most precious essence, and you come out with this: love and compassion is the call of every Christian.

Our scripture lesson is more than clear about that. The truth is I…