Have you noticed that compassion seems to be lacking in the world today? Yes, certain people have compassion. In a wide sweep of the population on Earth, however, there seems to be little compassion for fellow humans. We have more compassion and more energy for saving/rescuing/feeding animals.
This picture – compassion and caring – comes from www.proteuscoven.org
Lisa Beachy (www.lisabeachy.com) sent out her weekly angel message today. It was:
"Dearest friend, Living in compassion with those that you share this physical experience with is so key to your spiritual growth. Compassion for their fear, compassion for the way they view certain issues and compassion for how they formed their beliefs in the first place. Compassion is needed from you for their decisions and the ability to give that compassion without judgement. Compassion for others, as well as YOURSELF will walk you further down your spiritual path quicker than any book or class. - With Love, The Angels "
It was Lisa’s message that set me thinking about this issue of compassion and whether we feel it or not. At www.thefreedictionary.com, compassion is defined as “Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.” Often, with people close to us, we do not see their suffering as truly suffering because we compare it to other things like a starving child in Africa, or being a street person at –30 C, or living in the slums of India. What we are doing then, is making a judgement about the degree of suffering that the other person is doing. If we do not think that they are really suffering, we have little compassion for them. Sometimes we simply see them in the role of “victim”, and sometimes we have little patience for that.
The Angels’ message is quite timely for me. I have been wrestling with how to work with a friend who keeps expressing how much they are suffering, and yet I do not see it. I realise from Lisa’s message that I simply have to hold space for that person, and let them have their experience, whether it seems significant to me, or not. And, in my compassion, I need to hold a space for my self, to let me work out my judgements around what I observe in others.
I am grateful for Lisa’s message. I had an “aha” moment. May you feel the truth of this message as well.
Judy@angelsandancestors.com Hear November and December 2010 New Moon meditations at http://www.angelsandancestors.com/flash/player/audioPlayer.html
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Thanks for reading this blog post. Sharing is good if it is kind and either has questions or tells about an experience.
Blessings,
Judy