[Tension & Renewal - XXVI]
Compassion is different than pity.
Pity can remain distant, on the surface, and can include a layer of condescension. It doesn’t necessarily compel us to act. Compassion, which sits deep in us, begins at our center and moves us outward or toward the one suffering. It feels the pain. It includes a layer of empathy. It moves us to action.
But there are two kinds of compassion, I think.
One kind of compassion moves us toward the pain and misfortune, and yet it still remains guarded. It’s suspicious of empathy because empathy is compelling and vulnerable. This kind of compassion seeks generic targets for action. This compassion prefers “issues” and “causes” and the voting booth.
The other kind of compassion moves us toward the pain and remains open. It’s dangerous because it leaves us exposed to ever deeper levels of empathy. This kind of compassion is not universal or general; it’s particular and specific. It compels us to know more, be closer, love deeply. It loves this specific neighborhood, that specific family, and this one particular form of suffering.
It’s the second kind of compassion that is animated by our soul.
It’s a sign and symptom of deep spiritual renewal.
