Among modern songwriters, one of my favorites by far is Jon Foreman. Many of his themes center around the journey of and battle in the human heart when that heart comes, surrendering, face to face with the Grace that longs to embrace it.

He writes of deep and honest emotions, sometimes daring to pen lines about things and thoughts we would rather not acknowledge or discuss. He writes of precious love born out of honorable intentions. He writes of internal workings anyone who has lived with awareness long enough can somehow innately understand.

And to hear him speak in recordings, I get the sense that while he is a very talented musician, he is also a really humble, average, approachable man. A man who has been embraced by the compassion he often refers to, the Grace that flows through his music. It has shaped him well over the years.

While I was preparing to wrap up this month of blog posts, I came across one of his songs that has moved me deeply time and time again.

I love the words which remind me that none of us can truly ever be compassionate until we remember that it is only God’s compassion which is our model for being compassionate… even though He has more of a right than anyone else to be our judge and to demand that we stop judging others unfairly. It is His compassion which can turn our hearts around, melt them, and reshape them into hearts that beat more like His.

As I began the month with Christ, so I end it with the Trinity: still our best source of compassion. Father, forgive us when we lack mercy. Jesus, teach us when we need multiple lessons in understanding Your heart. Spirit, help us in our weakness. Amen.