The Cost of Caring

As I began to give thought to the subject of this post, I considered reflecting on my family’s experiences during Hurricane Andrew, now a full 25 years ago.  Then Harvey happened.  So, I gave thought to addressing the terrible circumstances that continue to unfold in Texas, but, now, Irma. 

Sometimes, it seems as though the disasters never end.  And that’s before we even take into account human disasters like Syria, Charlotte, nuclear threats, and so many others.  It becomes very easy to find oneself feeling completely overwhelmed, unable to deal with the magnitude and frequency of countless tragedies. 

The truth of the matter is our brains aren’t wired to deal with non-stop waves of immense tragedy and suffering, each seemingly higher than the last.  We become numb to the personal, emotional component of each successive horror and respond with less and less compassion and concern.

This response (or lack of response) is so consistent and so predictable, there is a term to describe it: Disaster Fatigue.  The more destruction to which we are exposed, the less likely we are to respond.  The greater the need, the less we do.

So, what can we do to counteract this tendency toward apathy?  How can we step forward and help meet the needs of so many?  Ironically, the most effective way to step forward may be to step back.  

As my friend Marilyn Gardner has so eloquently written – 

"I have found that I have to exit the noise.  I cannot sustain the information overload.  It renders me useless in everyday life.  When I give myself permission to exit the noise, when I allow myself to move to a place of quiet, I become healthier and more compassionate...a quiet place of contemplation and prayer is far more valuable than distraction and overload."

She continues - 

"Prayer leads me to reliance on a God who 'will not grow weary, and whose understanding no one can fathom,' and in the comfort of those age-old words, I can lose the guilt and rely on a never-ending resource of compassion and strength, available to all in crisis." 

Pay close attention:  The solution to our disaster fatigue is NOT to simply retreat into a “spiritual fetal position” of reflection and withdrawal. Rather, the only hope I have of being the “salt and light” I am called to be in this world is to avail myself of God’s endless resources.  Only by allowing God to do a work in me am I able to see God work through me.  

Only by allowing God to do a work in me

am I able to see God work through me.  

To many, it may seem counterintuitive to pull aside in order to more fully engage, but the time I invest in drawing near to God is more than amply repaid.  I find myself more caring, more generous, and more able to withstand the stress and strain of doing my part in meeting the needs of those beset by tragedy, both here and around the world. 

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To read more of Marilyn Gardner’s thoughtful and articulate work, please visit:
    www.communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com/blog/