desire to offer a healing response, the more I realize how crucial
it is not to allow myself to become paralyzed by feelings of
helplessness and guilt. More important than ever is to be very
faithful to my vocation to do well the few things I am called
to do and hold on to the joy and peace they bring me. I must
resist the temptation to let the forces of darkness pull me into
despair and make me one more of their many victims. -Henri Nouwen
"The more I think about the human suffering." This is such a difficult concept to come to terms with, especially for those of us who are fortunate enough to not be subjected to things that make us suffer. It seems that these days, many more people are suffering than ever before. That may not be true, for when we figure in our immediate access to news that we probably never heard before, plus the sheer number of people on the planet, more suffering and more awareness of suffering seem inevitable.
However, it is also true that things are happening in today's world that we simply haven't witnessed before. Never in my wildest imagination would I have imagined what has happened in Gaza for the last two years actually happening, with the world watching and doing little to nothing to help out. Not only have we seen a military killing almost indiscriminately, but we've also seen a situation in which food and medical aid for people who were sick and starving were completely forbidden, and people who tried to get food to starving children have been actually killed for their actions.
And in the United States, families are being torn apart because we have masked, uniformed people roaming the streets and beating and arresting virtually anyone they want, with little to no control. Foreign-born people who are in the country legally are being arrested and deported, often for no legitimate reason. Many people in the country wake up every day afraid of what might happen to them if the officers decide to arrest them today, for they often have little legal recourse available to them, even if what the ICE officers is doing is illegal.
As much as I would like to, I cannot solve these problems. I cannot help these people personally. And I have to say that it hurts to say that, because I would like to be able to do so. So what can I do to help me to get along with my life without being overcome by feelings of helplessness and despair? I think that Henri has hit the nail right where it needs to be hit: I can continue to do what I'm doing and do it well, helping myself to avoid despair and to bring some peace and hope to the people who are a part of my world. I'm not a person who has universal effect on anything, but I can keep on keeping on and put more positive energy out into the world. The hard part is being satisfied with that, of course, but that's simply a question of my own perspective, and my acceptance of some very real limitations. I can't do everything, and no one expects me to. I need to do the best I can with what I have, and be satisfied with that. I may be helpless to stop massacres in the Sudan, but I'm not helpless when it comes to showing kindness to others and helping them in ways that I'm capable of.
(page coming very soon)
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