Youth beset by community violence, racism, and deep poverty experience profound suffering, and it is important to learn about their strengths to support them. To that end, we asked African American youths in Chicago what made social services provided to them by the Empowering Counseling Program meaningful to them. Their responses focused on the giving and receiving of compassion. To illuminate these youths’ experiences, this study examines their understandings of compassion in light of scriptural references to compassion. In the Old Testament, compassion is a passionate, personal force and an essential virtue. Yahweh self-defines as the compassionate and merciful one. In the New Testament, compassion is the English translation of three different Greek words: splagchnizomai, eleos, and agape. Splagchnizomai signifies an inner experience of Jesus that compels him to heal, teach, and nourish people. Eleos refers to acts of mercy, a response to human sinfulness exemplified by Jesus’ forgiveness, and is a capacity his followers must fulfill. Agape refers to God’s nature, represented in Jesus, and is a potential in all persons. Themes that the scriptural references and the youths’ data have in common are highlighted. In the narratives of both the youths and Scripture, compassionate responses address suffering and alienation with consolation, forgiveness, care, healing, and reconnection. Acts of compassion are to be extended to strangers as well as to friends and family and should always include respect for the autonomy and choices of others. Both the youths and Scripture regard compassion as a transforming liberation from stigma, social oppression, and terror, a life-giving process that brings hope and joy, and a commitment that endures across relationships and time.

被社区暴力、种族主义和极度贫困困扰的青年经历着深刻的痛苦，了解他们的优势来支持他们很重要。为此，我们询问了芝加哥的非裔美国青年，是什么让赋权咨询计划向他们提供的社会服务对他们有意义。他们的反应集中在同情的给予和接受上。为了阐明这些年轻人的经历，本研究根据圣经对慈悲的引用来检验他们对慈悲的理解。在旧约中，同情是一种热情的个人力量和基本美德。耶和华自称是慈悲怜悯的。在新约中，同情是三个不同的希腊词的英文翻译：splagchnizomai , eleos, 和agape。Splagchnizomai表示对耶稣的内在体验，这迫使他治愈、教导和滋养人们。Eleos指的是仁慈的行为，是对人类罪恶的回应，以耶稣的宽恕为例，是他的追随者必须履行的能力。阿加佩指的是上帝的本性，以耶稣为代表，是所有人的潜能。突出显示圣经参考资料和青少年资料的共同主题。在年轻人和圣经的叙述中，富有同情心的反应以安慰、宽恕、关怀、治愈和重新联系来解决痛苦和疏离。同情的行为应扩展到陌生人以及朋友和家人，并应始终包括尊重他人的自主权和选择。青年人和圣经都将同情视为摆脱耻辱、社会压迫和恐怖的转变性解放，是带来希望和欢乐的赋予生命的过程，是跨越关系和时间的承诺。