Compassion in a Pandemic

Many of us are feeling loss right now.
Loss of work and purpose.
Loss of church meetings and fellowship.
Loss of being able to spontaneously run to the store.

Many of us are also feeling stress right now.
The stress of a constricting budget.
The stress of shortages at the grocery stores.
The stress of an ongoing pandemic with no definite end date in sight.

When faced with these losses and stressors together, it is natural to want to focus on looking after ourselves more than caring for others. As Christ-followers however, I challenge us to choose compassion over competitiveness.

May we choose grace to buy what we can online so those who can't buy online have the supplies they need in the stores.

May we choose to consider how this pandemic is impacting those around us and around our world, instead of focusing on how our lives have been upended.

This isn't to say that we shouldn't take care of ourselves (we should) or that we should only think of others while neglecting ourselves (we shouldn't), but instead of being 100% looking out only for ourselves, or 100% only caring for others, we should strike a balance.

To borrow the Apostle Paul's words: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/php.2.4.ESV

When we only look to the interests of others, we burnout. When we only look to our own interests, selfishness abounds and our worries fester. When we balance the two as we look to God, we can look at the world with a clearer perspective, as we are connected to a source of hope, peace, and joy that the world desperately needs.

So what are ways we can show compassion while we are in the midst of a global pandemic?

1. Ask someone (using technology, not by dropping by for a visit) how they are doing.
2. Empathize with the stress, problems, and worries they are burdened by.
3. Rejoice with them over any joys, successes, or enjoyable events they have experienced.
4. Ask them how you can pray for them.
5. Next time you touch base with them, ask follow up questions from their previously mentioned requests. 
6. Be kind to those essential workers at stores, hospitals, and other essential businesses.
7. Only go out when it is absolutely necessary to get something.
8. Follow social distancing protocols. (The most loving thing we can do is to make sure we don't spread the virus to someone!)
9. Give people freedom from expectations. Just because we see someone online doing a really cool project, this doesn't mean that everyone has the time, abilities, resources, or desire to do that too. 
10. Treat others how you want to be treated. 
11. Ask people how they want to be treated if you're not sure what to do.
12. Find new ways to celebrate milestones and victories with loved ones far away.
13. Show compassion to yourself. Give yourself the space and time to grieve the loss of our former way of living for this season.
14. Give yourself time to process how this has impacted you personally

Going through a season of loss and stress doesn't have to mean that we need to act selfishly. We can choose to treat others with compassion in the midst of this pandemic. Then we can use these skills of compassion and empathy throughout the rest of our lives.