Compassion has surely never been more needed in this broken, angry world of war, famine, disease, poverty and fear. The Bible shows us again and again the good news of God's compassion for us, perhaps most vividly demonstrated in the parable of the Prodigal Son, referred to at the end, below. God's compassion for us can act as an example to how we should view others.

Here, then, are seven Bible verses on compassion for these troubled times.

1. 'And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness' (Exodus 34:6).

2. 'Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you' (Deuteronomy 30:3).

3. 'But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy them or banish them from his presence' (2 Kings 13:23).

4. 'When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd' (Matthew 9:36).

5. 'When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick' (Matthew 14:14).

6. 'As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy' (James 5:11).

7. 'So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him' (Luke 15:20).