Reconnecting with compassion...

 

  As a follow up to my previous post, I decided to do something that I have never done on my blog...post a video. As you can see this is a talk given at a TED conference. As per Wikipedia..."TED talks strive to address a considerable range of topics within the research and practice of science and culture, often through storytelling. The speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can." I found this talk very compelling and I particularly enjoyed a number of comments. One that especially  struck me was, "Compassion also brings us into the territory of mystery — encouraging us not just to see beauty, but perhaps also to look for the face of God in the moment of suffering, in the face of a stranger, in the face of the vibrant religious other.” I think one of the biggest challenges us, on a daily basis is to enter into that "territory of mystery" particularly while surrounded by the wreckage of what is left of your entire life after a catastrophic event. We focus on the loss...the material things...we focus on our suffering and many times develop a victim mentality. We become self absorbed and lose the ability to see the face of God manifest in the face of a stranger or even our suffering. Krista says, " Compassion can be synonymous with empathy..." It is difficult, if not impossible to have empathy if we are living a self centered and sense of entitlement life. We see very little beauty or marvel at the incredible way suffering is designed to bring us closer to God. She additionally points out that this necessary compassion can be expressed in the simple act of presence. This is what Jesus excelled at...entering into peoples suffering...being very present...and responding. This is a sheer impossibility if you are selfish and don't live with gratitude. There are many times that we often positively relish the trials and sufferings of others, particularly if we have made some judgement about their plight without even knowing them. We feel smug and insulated and smack our lips in delighted self congratulation that " thank God...that's not me..." This is not anything even close to compassionate. It's making a bad situation many times worse... it separates us...it divides...it draws a line. And any time you're drawing lines, you are making boundaries...us and them...lucky and unlucky...blessed and not blessed...rich and poor...black and white...have and have not. You also are drawing that line between Jesus and...yourself.