What happens to those stuck in darkness. Some choose to stay, others are trapped by the confines of their own torment. What reward is darkness, what comfort? How as a society is it more comfortable to turn our heads and hearts away from them. All of us have had some introduction or experience into the practice of empathy. Many are taught these lessons through their religious practice and education. Empathy requires ones willingness to place themselves into and understand what a person is experiencing from their perspective. It is not a simple acknowledgment or understanding but a true step into their experience. But we are easy to not step into this place, we even go through great effort at times to avoid it. Maybe we have sat in the same dark place as the other and we were able to move into the light; thus thinking, “I did it so should they be able to do it”. Maybe we think, “They can help themselves if they truly want”.
The easier, softer response is to pretend we do not notice them, and sometimes that’s okay. However I seem to feel indifferent when others use these responses as an excuse to push people further into the darkness. We are members of the universal family, inexplicably tied to one another. Those who live in the darkness are our brothers and sisters. I challenge you to allow yourself to feel empathy for those who suffer and begin to shed light into the darkness.
B
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