The Assignment

It’s hard to feel compassion in a compassionless world.

Or at least it seems it’s that way because social media does a great job of spreading outrage. It seems like humans are “connected” more these days while simultaneously being disconnected.

I’ll admit… I struggle with compassion fatigue. It’s discouraging sometimes to sacrifice so much of my personal time, money, and put strain on myself and relationships to serve communities that don’t think I have the right to love who I want. Who some feel like I’m an abomination. Who hate people I care deeply about because they’re trans. It enrages me.

I’ve come to realize that all of this is deeply rooted in fear and that fear is contagious. I try my best to not spread it. It reminds me of a song by one of my favorite bands of all time, Thrice:

“Fear will kill your mind and steal your love as sure as anything Fear will rob you blind and make you numb to others' suffering And I've felt its touch too many times and I've had enough.”

Dustin Kensrue, who is the main lyricist of the band, is a devote Christian. Most of Thrice’s songs have heavy C.S. Lewis references. Growing up very Catholic, then reverting to agnosticism, I had always had a bit of apprehension with Thrice’s religious overtones… not because I didn’t appreciate his point of view, but I was always afraid of when the other shoe would drop. I haven’t had the best experiences with religious people.

But I view Dustin as a true Christian, or at least the Christianity that I grew up knowing. The humble, non-pious, altruism I grew up being taught regarding God and Jesus. The kind of Christian I feel like I can be at peace in their presence. I have a few people in my life like that… the kind of Christians that I know I can be myself and they won’t sit in judgement. This is how I feel about two of my most treasured members in my SAR group: Art and Julie. They’re deeply involved in the church and Worldly people… and yet they make me feel safe and at peace when I’m around them. Same with my mother, my grandma, etc.

Dustin’s a true humanist, which I think should be the DEFAULT of every Christian. Sadly, it’s been weaponized to be hateful.

“I kind of wish Christianity would have died in the States like it did in Europe, before half of it here morphed it a sloppy chimera of white supremacy, anti-intellectualism, and rabid entitlement.” -Dustin Kensrue.

The world isn’t cold, dark, and dead… it is if you accept it to be as such. Meanwhile, I refuse to believe that people are inherently bad. Selfish, yes, but “evil” no.

So I’ll continue to fight the good fight. I’ll continue to treat people I disagree with with kindness and empathy… even if they seemingly don’t deserve it. But I implore Christians to be the kind that feels at peace when people are in your presence. If people don’t feel that around you, you’ve misunderstood the assignment.