Compassion in a World on Fire
I wake up every day with a start. I pull up the shade and take a moment to gaze out my backyard window at the birds, who seem undisturbed by the current chaos. However, they are no strangers to vigilance. They must be fully aware and awake, lest they be taken by a predator or prevented from eating their next meal. The stunning oriole chirps loudly and repeatedly before taking a bite. Afterwards, he clears a path for his mate to come eat. Quickly, they are gone.
Lately, I have been caught in tension between “being” and “doing.”
I want so much to help heal this broken world and to keep myself and my loved ones from being torn apart by it. The pain of humanity grows by the day. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of the suffering. People continue to get sick and die from COVID. Health care workers are forced to bear witness to this trauma. George Floyd was murdered by a policeman in broad daylight—pleading for his mother and to be given the chance to breathe. Communities of color and their allies are outraged and grieving. Will their voices continue to go unheard? Our city is facing chaos and destruction.
I ask myself each day what I might have to offer to alleviate some of this suffering. The task seems so daunting.
The other day, I noticed this book my daughter had left on the floor:
Muth’s adaptation of Tolstoy’s story is about a boy named Nikolai, who endeavors to be a good person but is not sure the best way to do so. He asks his animal friends for help. Nikolai’s questions are:
When is the best time to do things?
Who is the most important one?
What is the right thing to do?
His friends have all kinds of advice for Nikolai. Their answers are based on their own immediate needs, experiences, and points of view. Nikolai doesn’t know how to make sense of all of it, so he hikes up to the mountains to visit an elder (the turtle). The turtle doesn’t give any advice. He smiles and listens. During his visit, Nikolai notices that the turtle is tired from his work and lends a hand. A storm ensues and on the way to the turtle’s house, they encounter a panda with an injured leg. The boy carries the panda home, repairs her leg, and retrieves her youngster from out in the rain.
Nikolai learns that the best way to help is to listen carefully, pay close attention to what is happening around him, and enlist the help of friends.
The wise turtle explains:
“Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in this world.”
