go where it hurts

Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

                                                   Henri J.M. Nouwen

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Compassion asks us to go where it hurts!

It does indeed

Compassion can only arise

When we are willing to see the brokenness,

Fear, confusing, and anguish of others

If we cannot go into that place of misery

we cannot have empathy

if we cannot see the anguish of a mother or father

from Central America,

if we cannot enter into that place where we

feel what they feel, as the sit in the middle of violence and chaos

and look at their little child

we cannot have the compassion it takes to

welcome them when after miles of trial and danger,

they show up at our border

But here is the thing

We cannot have compassion for others

Unless we have compassion for ourselves

We cannot enter into the brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish of others

Unless we are wilingl to see, and enter into

Our own brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish

Unless we have been willing to forgive ourselves

It will be very difficult to forgive others

Mourned over our own losses

We will struggle to mourn with other in their loss

For we will still be wrapped up in our own unresolved loss

Unless we are willing to see how we are weak

It will be next to impossible to be with those who are struggling

For we will still be trying to hide our weakness

We cannot welcome the immigrant at our border

With open hearts and open arms

If we do not understand, and have compassion for

Our own fears about having enough

Our own fears about safety

If we have not entered into those fears

We will respond to those who come, seeking refuge

Out of reflexive fear

Rather than from a place of understanding

Compassion means full immersion into the condition of humanity

Including our own