Some people will tell you that empathy’s a gift; that it’s a blessing – you were born with it, and that your job is to walk through this world feeling everybody’s pain and being a healer. Other people like Carl Jung will tell you that it’s a defense mechanism; that’s a skill you learned in order to survive the demands of a dysfunctional household, where knowing the right things to say – or the right things NOT to say – was a skill you picked up in order to avoid pain – maybe even emotional or physical abuse…
Category: Prayer
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Maybe it was ten years ago; maybe it was a little bit longer. I was starting to get the call to step away from the 9-5 world, and into all of this…
I have a teacher who’s fond of saying, “I have a gift, but the power is not mine,” and I make no claims to anything.
All I know is this: If you can find what it is you’re truly here to do, and walk that out into the world; let it shape you, and let it carry you, then that’s just not a gift for you…
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When faced with the suffering or ill health of another person in need of prayers or some more immediate form of support, the most caring among us will frequently – perhaps even reflexively – offer to hold space for that individual.
Our hearts might be in the right place, but sometimes our efforts fall short of our intentions, and after a quick prayer, or maybe a phone call or two, we step back and continue on with our lives. That’s fine, of course, if they’re only asking for minimal involvement on our part. But if they’re not, how do we know if we’re really up to the task?
Another way of viewing this is through the lens of “bearing witness”. Typically, this is understood as recognizing the person’s affliction. But how often are we actually willing to go beyond that simple act of recognition and to meet the person where they are, so that we might be able to provide them with the support they really need, instead of what we ourselves deem appropriate?
Bonja the Bodger 