Compassion Fatigue

Martin Fair September 30, 2024 6 3

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Galatians 6: 7-10 (NRSVA)

7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

It can be exhausting.

What?

Just watching the news and being aware of the scale of the need in the world.

The effect of that exhaustion can be what has come to be known as compassion fatigue. It would seem that we get tired and that there are limits on our ability to care. Our lack of capacity to care is reflected in the fact that any news programme focusses on a very limited number of issues, only ever scratching the surface. While the plight of people in Sudan, for example, is reaching critical levels, you have to dig deep to find it referred to. News editors decide that there’s enough going on in the Middle East and that beyond that we, the viewers, couldn’t cope.

Sometimes the levels of need lead to a kind of paralysis; we wouldn’t know where to start responding so we don’t start at all.

Though there’s confusion as to who first said it, the antidote to that outcome is well-expressed here: ‘It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little.’ Little is always better than nothing.

It might not be clear who said that but, through Paul, God’s clear word to us is that we are not to become weary in doing good… and that as we have opportunity, we should do good.

The key to fulfilling this ‘ask’ is that we rely not on our own strength and capacity to care but on that of Jesus. Even when in constant demand, he always had time to get alongside the ‘least of these’ and to exercise love and compassion where the need was greatest. Might that be what they say of you; that you never stopped doing good?

Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, this we believe, that you are good and that there are no ends to your goodness and mercy and compassion. By your Spirit, empower us we pray to reflect something of that goodness and compassion through our lives. When weary, strengthen us. When fatigued, raise us up.

Today, grant me opportunities to do good. In Jesus’ name, AMEN