Compassion should motivate us to more than just feeling sorrow for someone it should motivate us to action. Pity is a feeling, but true compassion demands an action.
There is a funny story about Peter admitting people at the gates of heaven. Peter asks one man who appears, ‘Tell me one act of kindness you have committed during your life. The man said, ‘Once saw a rough looking gang of motorcyclist harassing an old lady. I walked right up and punched the gang leader in the nose’ St Peter said, ‘When did that happen?’ The guy said, ‘About 30 seconds ago.’”