May 27

May 27 Conviction & Compassion

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how conviction needs to be coupled with compassion. On Saturday, I am sure many of you heard how over ten thousand people packed a city park clearly violating physical distancing. My initial reaction was a weary frustration and annoyance. However later on as I was in my garden, it dawned on me most of the people at that park probably live in high-rises as it’s in a downtown location. They have a small cement-pad balcony or none at all. It’s no wonder they were craving green space and nature after being cooped up for months. I’ve lived in apartments before and I’ve lived in large cities before, and really the idea is that the city is your playground when you’re in such close quarters. In this pandemic, I am privileged to have a yard and fresh air at my fingertips.

Closer to home, there are a couple of kids on my street, cousins, who are about the same age as my boys. They zip around the neighbourhood largely unsupervised which makes me a little uneasy for safety reasons as they cross the street sometimes without looking, but they are really good kids. During this pandemic, they will come by multiple times a day when the boys are outside. Often, I have to step onto my porch and politely remind them that we need to physical distance for the time being, but would absolutely love to see them once things clear-up. One day, I deviated slightly from my usual script and said, “Cody, how about you and Abby come by after the virus goes away and we can have a popsicle party if it’s ok with your Grandpa?’” [These cousins either live or spend most of their time at the grandparents’ home who happen to live on my street]. This sweet little boy proceeded to tell me that his Grandpa died this winter and that he got on his knees and “prayed and prayed” for his grandfather to get better, but he didn’t. My heart broke for this family and I realized the lack of supervision wasn’t intentional. The family is deeply grieving and some things are slipping through the cracks. There are bigger things on their mind than a pandemic right now and rather than distance, they need support which is why I have seen people congregate at their home.

*** Please know, I am not saying we should ignore the guidelines at this time. ** I am simply acknowledging that these guidelines have some paying a greater price than others. The person in a cramped apartment with no air-conditioning and children has a very different experience than the family with a pool, even though both these families may have equally valid feelings of struggle right now. I share these two examples of the park gathering and my neighbourhood kids to illustrate while we may all be in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. It can be so easy to pick up our virtual stones and knock down anyone who disagrees with us. I know I have been guilty of it. Now, I believe understanding is the precursor to compassion. Compassion is the antidote to unfair judgement. While there are no easy answers, I hope grace and compassion will be by-products of this season. That is the growth I am seeking right now as I wish to emerge from lockdown as a kinder human being.