Compassion

I have been contemplating something I read recently. In the book "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress", the author returns home to the Mennonite community she grew up in due to some life and health problems she was dealing with.

I enjoyed the book because of the witty and sarcastic way the author writes. Her husband of 15 years left her for another man. Every time she brings it up in her storytelling she refers to the situation as "when my husband left me for a guy named Bob that he met on gay.com".

So there is a story she tells in her book about her husband's brother. He (and her husband) had a history of depression and mental disorders. Her brother in law committed suicide. His parents did not attend his funeral because they felt that what he did was a sin. The author felt compassion for this man and didn't understand how his parents could do this.

She discusses this idea that we have more compassion for strangers and people we don't know very well. The idea is because they have not hurt us. When a person has caused us pain then we feel less compassion for them.

I am intrigued by this idea and am inclined to believe this is true. Forgiveness is one of the most difficult tasks in this mortal life we live. We will invariably be hurt by many people in our life. I believe that most of this hurt is not intentional. But a circle of hurt, none the less.  We are all creatures trying to get our needs met. And when they are not met we feel emotional pain. When we are hurt, we hurt others.

The flip side of this is when we truly love and understand a person then we are more likely to have compassion for them. 

Interesting dilemma. What do you think?