How Do We Show Compassion Without Celebrating Someone?

My life has been a blueprint for forgiveness. As a young girl I experienced things no young girl should ever have to go through, and yet for some reason God brought me through and taught me the power of compassion and forgiveness. Learning to forgive others freed me from anger and bitterness that could have destroyed not only my soul, but how I lived my daily life. When I extended compassion, it often caused them to take a deeper look at how they were living and hurting others, including me. It is true we are living in times where people are being lifted and praised without looking at the whole perspective of who they were and what they did but let us not forget who we are and what we stand for. My grandmother would often say, remember who you are and never let anyone make you stoop beneath who God created you to be.  Even when hatred is running rampant in our country and we may not see an end to violence, we can still stand strong and show compassion towards others. We must hold on to the belief that God is ultimately still in control.

I understand this can be hard to digest because when we experience injustice, racism, hatred, and evil we want to retaliate. Truthfully most of us are tired of what is going on in the world today and we want to react, but we must be careful of our reactions because they can have consequences both positive and or negative. Of course, we all know there has been unfair treatment across the board, but two wrongs do not make a right and remember vengeance is mine says the Lord. I know this can be a hard pill to swallow. Gun violence and hate crimes continue to be an issue. People being killed and leaving loved ones behind is not a new narrative for us. Our history has shown that when some of our fallen heroes and sheroes were killed there was no acknowledgement or sympathy extended. This type of treatment continues to hurt the very fabric of our nation. This is not a Black, white, brown, yellow, or red issue. This is not even a democrat, independent, or republican issue, this is a human issue. The soul of America is at stake.

Even in our differences, none of us should be happy or rejoice when someone is killed and that goes for anyone.

Compassion for human suffering does not require agreement with the rhetoric that fueled someone’s platform, especially if they were harmful and disrespectful. That is where the challenge comes in to be compassionate without conforming to what they believed or taught. We live in a culture where violence is increasingly seen as a way to win, where fear and resentment are monetized, and where young people are taught to view neighbors as enemies. Oftentimes outrage is rewarded more than spending time to see how we can right wrongs. The loudest voices drown out the still, small call to common humanity, but that does make it right. When tragedy strikes, it is tempting to retreat into our own ideological corners and blame others, but this is the very cycle that keeps hatred alive. Even though it may be difficult ask yourself if you are willing to try and build a bridge and show compassion or do you want to just burn it all down? All I am advocating is if we can find a way to speak truth without exhibiting cruelty, let us try and find that path.

Advocating for this path may feel small compared to the magnitude of our national wounds, but history shows that change rarely begins with grand gestures. It starts with everyday people deciding that hatred will not have the last word. It is built each day when neighbors choose understanding over suspicion, when citizens demand justice without revenge, and when communities reach across divides to serve the common good. We cannot control every act of violence, but we can control whether we add to the hatred or help to heal it. I believe it is possible to show compassion towards others, and we do not have to celebrate them when the ideas they championed were harmful and disrespectful towards others.

Wendy is The Purpose Partner, Life Strategist, Coach, Consultant, Author, and Speaker.

Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on. Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more.