now is the time for compassion

It’s a hoax. It won’t be that bad. It’s an overreaction. It’s a deep state plot to rig the election. I’ll be okay, and so I shouldn’t have to isolate. The media is just whipping up fear.

Rage. Pause. Compassion.

I’m worried about my loved ones. What about the detained migrants? The incarcerated? The isolated elderly? The homeless?

Anguish. Pause. Compassion.

I lost someone close to me. I’m afraid for my own health. I can’t go outside or hug other humans. I won’t be able to visit my dying father.

Grief. Pause. Compassion.

Wherever you are and whatever you encounter, your emotions are relevant and valid. Your anger, fear, and grief are real. Each of us brings our own emotions and unique circumstances to this reality, and each of us deals with them differently. And so now, more than ever, I strive to pause before responding, pause before reacting.

We owe each other compassion, empathy, and understanding - and even though I know this to be true, I can’t help how I initially react. Gaslighting and scapegoating are my bugaboos these days, and I burn with white-hot rage when I see it. Maybe yours is panic buying or hopelessness or minimizing or avoidance. But whatever your trigger, know that you can pause before responding and that, in itself, is compassion. Pause. Breathe. Pray. Consider that we’re all just trying our best.

Leave space for grace.

Go in peace and pause. Love your neighbor. Share the grace and compassion you’ve been given through the freedom found in trusting that the grace you have received is limitless.