There is so much injustice in the world. So many people who suffer. I caught the police commissioner’s quarterly report: 5 760 people murdered, 10 006 people raped in South Africa …

Shocking. How many people’s lives were broken apart by this, some completely destroyed? What is wrong with those people who did this? We can’t allow this!

I wish I didn’t have to write about this, but as children of God, we can’t simply look away and walk on as if nothing had happened. There are broken people who don’t how to keep going.

As children of God, we are commanded to do something. Actually, it shouldn’t even be a command – our hearts should be on fire to run to help them.

The author of Hebrews does indeed motivate his readers to act in response to pain and hardship: ³Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you.

Many of their fellow believers were imprisoned because of their faith. These people were suffering; their loved ones were suffering. So easily you forget about your brother who is in prison. So easily one simply gets on with life and doesn’t even think about others who are suffering.

That’s not right for a child of God. We must think about those who are in prison. We must think about those who are bound and chained to something that is destroying their lives and is slowly forcing freedom from them.

We must think about the loved ones standing at a grave not knowing what to do next. We must think about those living with major, unprocessable trauma because someone had stolen their inner self.

But it goes beyond thinking about it. We must also have compassion. we must imagine how bad it is, how painful and hard it must be for them, as if we are dragging ourselves through it.

The thinking and feeling and imagining someone else’s pain will force us to act. We will get up from our comfortable couches and start doing something. We can’t close the hole in their lives just like that, because not all of us have the tools. We don’t even always know what to say.

Our presence, just being with them, is a start. To cry with them and being honest in saying I don’t know what to do or say already makes a big difference.

Let’s tackle this one seriously. Let’s take off the blinkers and notice the pain and suffering around us. Let’s actively plan to help and take action.

Scripture
Hebrews 13:1-8

Reflection
Do you see other people’s pain?
Do you feel other people’s pain?
What are you doing about it?

Prayer
Father, I confess that I don’t always see other people’s pain and suffering, and hardly ever do anything about it. Help me to be watchful and to see and feel and do. In Your power only. I ask this in Jesus’ Name, amen.