Sympathy is a trait that should surge
from us like a gushing fountain. Like a mother’s love for
her child, it should be spontaneous and impulsive. Seeing a
person in distress should perturb and agitate us. Even if we
are helpless to do anything practical to redress the
situation, concern should pour out from us and anxiety
should stir us up. We too should writhe in agony – as if we
ourselves were going through it. If such a situation does
not affect us in any way, then surely there is something
terribly wrong. We should then make a positive effort to
awaken this dormant trait.
We can revive and enhance the radiance
of this trait in ourselves by simply opening our eyes to the
world around us.
We can learn sympathy from the prophets
of God who were an embodiment of this attribute. They were
selfless well-wishers of their people. They wanted to secure
their people from the wrath of God. What greater an
expression of sympathy than to awaken people from their deep
slumber and to prepare them for the kingdom of heaven?
We can learn sympathy from a mother;
how she continues to wait on her children and serve their
needs even when this means sacrificing her own needs,
forsaking her own comfort and giving up her own priorities.
We can learn sympathy from individuals
who, risking their own lives, attend to the sick and wounded
both in times of peace and war.
And if all this is not enough to
inculcate or enhance this trait in us we may think of a
selfish motive: being sympathetic and kind to others makes
us forget our own worries. It gives us peace of mind which
is so elusive a thing these days.
And of course instances at which we
need to show sympathy abound:
Attending persistently to sick
relatives and friends; treating pets and beasts of burden
with utmost humanity; doing whatever can be done for those
afflicted with some calamity and praying to God if nothing
else can be done; using our influence to help those in
distress; not forsaking sinners for they need sympathy the
most; treating those subservient to us especially servants
with extreme kindness and affection; merely lending an ear
to a person going through some agony; supporting the
oppressed against the wicked; lending a hand to the old, the
disabled and the handicapped; ignoring the weaknesses of
others; welcoming guests wholeheartedly; tending vigilantly
to plants … of course there is no end to this list.
May God grant us the courage and will
to overcome any shortcoming that we may have in being
sympathetic.
_____________ |