How easily do we slip into abstraction while real people are counting coins at the grocery store? Loud voices are saying, “They just need to work harder,” as if effort alone could outpace rent and medical bills. Then there is the spiritual bypass of saying, “It’s all part of the divine plan,” as if that could fill an empty fridge and children’s empty stomachs.
Meanwhile, there are parents skipping meals so their kids can eat, elders rationing medicine, young people working full-time and still unable to afford housing.
Yes, perspective and effort matter. Of course they do. But compassion is about getting close enough to feel what someone else is going through. It’s about caring, really caring, about the hard things people face every day. I care deeply. Hope you do too. JudyV