This picture is one that our teacher, Eric Young, took a few years back. It's perhaps the best picture I've had taken since I got fat. Thanks, Eric. I thought it was fitting that I use it on this blog you're making me write.
In the second lecture of this class Eric told us that it is our obligation as citizens of the world to care about certain things, like "Arab Spring" and "legitimate rape". I knew about the splash a dork of a politician had made by the 2nd term, but I had honestly never heard of the first one. Before he had finished his lecture I had looked it up and have been reading about it since then. I do care about the issues involved and do deem it my obligation to care, but Arab Spring is not my topic for this blog.
I didn't think I needed a professor to tell me what I am obligated to care about. I care about a great many things and feel I am an accepting, caring member of the human family. Believe it or not, even if I didn't know the term "Arab Spring", I do consider myself a sister to all men and women, no matter what their race, religion or political background. When one of them suffers, so do I. Even if I don't know them, when they die, my world is diminished. If my brothers and sisters in Syria are being oppressed, they do deserve my notice, concern and any help I can give them.
However, I have to admit to a suffering of another kind: emotial fatigue. When my husband or son is hurt, or frustrated or ill, so am I. When the values of my faith are threatened, so am I. When one of my former LDS Seminary students chooses unhealthy and/or dangerous relationships, my heart literally hurts. Add to this the worst pain of all (which is not unsubstantial): that which I have personally caused others by my own actions.
Sometimes I feel close to being paralized by the cares that I have. So when it appears that I don't care about the plight of my Arab brothers and sisters, it may indeed be my stone cold ignorance, which I'm being accused of OR it may be self preservation. For if I become too depressed by it all, which I have a tentency to do, I'm not going to be any good to anybody.
It is my hope that my young classmates are able to pay closer attention, to care more and to act quicker than I am. For now, what I am able to do is to pray for the family in Damascus of Huda: my dear Muslim friend from Kansas. From her I learned more about faith and fasting so for her I'll do both.
Kathleen
The heart has no capacity and love is never wasted.
ReplyDeleteI love that. Thanks.
DeleteAfter thinkning more about your post I realize that it may have been more criticism than the encouragement I thought it to be. If you're telling me that my heart has no limit to the caring it can give, I say, "Of course it doesn't". But if you're saying that I'm not using my heart or emotional resources to full capacity, I say, "Who are you to judge that?"
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