Sunday, 21 March 2010

Compassion

One day my daughter Meah got too close to the stove and burned her hand most greivously.  As we treated her wound and gave her emotional comfort, my younger son said as he stood aside in disbelief, arms crossed and brow furrowed: "Wow she's really carrying on about that burn!"

I said:  "Michael, burns hurt and the pain lasts for a while you remember..."

Michael replied:  "no dad, I don't.  I've never been burned."

"Surely you have son, all kids get burned" I said trying to fathom how one of my children might have escaped a simple accidental finger burn.  Michael insisted he had not.  I then continued: "well consider yourself lucky boy, and take my word for it, burns hurt a lot!"

As my wife and I sat there we tried and tried to think of a time Michael had been burned and we were simply unable to recall him ever having received one.  It just never occurred to us with having 5 children that one of them was bound to escape a burn injury, especially considering how often they help with preparing meals.

After Meah had calmed down a bit, Michael emerged from the kitchen holding his hand, with tears streaming down his face.  He immediately went to Meah offered her a hug, looked in her eyes and apologized to her ever so softly.

"What's wrong with your hand Michael?" I said.  "I have burned myself on the hot stove daddy." was his reply.

"On purpose?!" I found myself asking in the most concerned of parental tones.  Voice changing pitch upward a few octaves.

"Yes." He replied.  "What on earth for son?!" I reached for his hand to examine the injury and again my voice had elevated in pitch.  I now thought I had two burned children I must tend to one of which had taken it upon himself to inflict the wound deliberately!

"Because I did not know how Meah felt, and I did not understand her.  Now I know what she felt...and I am really sorry I acted the way I did."

Compassion is essential in loving our neighbor as Christ instructed.  We must often put ourselves into a state that can identify with those who suffer around us.  Even if only figuratively, we must learn to identify with those who suffer.  If children can learn this lesson, why then can we as adults, not see the message as clearly as Christ delivered it? 

Have compassion for your enemies, and for your neighbor, and evil will grow weak in the knees.

Posted by Fr Abbot Kenneth L. Hasty, S.O.S. at 1:45 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 21 March 2010 2:06 PM EDT

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