If Joy is the epitome of human soaring happiness, then despair must surely be it’s opponent. While no one wishes to suffer pain, without it, we can’t understand the depth of abundant elation, not to mention growth. The world we inhabit is rife with pain, and because we learn of news in a flash of time, we instantaneously hear of gross tragedy round the world almost from the moment it occurs. Too much information is bringing forth a numbness to the pain of others until it reaches too close to our own doorstep.
Thank God for children. Children cry easily. When my first grader daughter came home from school one day relating a story of her friend who cried that day, she began to weep while telling the story. She felt deep empathy for this friend of hers, as if the pain were happening to her.
From Harvard University’s Making Caring Common: “Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human. It’s a foundation for acting ethically, for good relationships of many kinds, for loving well, and for professional success.”
https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/resources-for-families/5-tips-cultivating-empathy
My husband and I recently passed an extraordinary car accident that piled up cars and emergency vehicles for miles. There was an unannounced period of silence between us as we passed by, knowing that life was lost that day. It wasn’t our family member nor did it have to be. I realized I was still human, and I shed a tear for the families of those in that crash and said a prayer of peace. It genuinely hurt and I was grateful that it did.
God gave us a heart, room for compassion and an innate need to love. Regardless of where you stand on faith, it’s hard to deny His words. “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude.”
Love well,
Elaine
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