Are We Numb, Drowning in a Shallow Pool of Compassion and Empathy in Our Society?

Last updated on: July 21, 2017 at 10:29 am by Paul Louis Metzger

Are We Numb, Drowning in a Shallow Pool of Compassion and Empathy in Our Society? 2017-07-21T10:29:36-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

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You may have seen or read the news about the teenagers who videotaped and mocked a man as he drowned in Cocoa, Florida. All the teens had phones, but not one of them called for help to rescue the man (who was also disabled). The teens were not charged in the incident, since there is no law in Florida that requires people to aid a person in distress—not even to call someone to aid the person in distress.

Cruel, heartless incidents like this disturb us, perhaps even scare us. Are we becoming numb to one another’s pain in our society? What would cause these teens to videotape and mock another human being? Had they experienced hostility, disregard, abuse growing up? What can we do to increase compassion and empathy?

Not everyone who has experienced abuse and abandonment reacts to others in a calloused way. Chester Bennington was one such individual. The lead singer of Linkin Park died yesterday (the authorities are treating it as a suicide). Known for his piercing words and vocals, his deep, raw emotion and kindness, he was not numb to others (though he said he numbed himself to his own pain through his music).

The video recording of his band’s song “Numb” takes place in a church and goes back and forth from the sanctuary to a teenage girl who feels isolated, “caught in the undertow,” smothered. How can we learn to become more sensitive to people’s pain and grief? How can we not allow our own suffering to callous our hearts to those around us? One would hope that the church is a place and its music a venue where such angst is expressed, shared, rather than smothered and suffocated. Chester Bennington may have numbed himself to his own pain through music, but his music spiritually touched countless people’s hearts, allowing them to express themselves, myself included.

How well do we listen to one another’s heart cries? Are we attentive? Given that God in Christ has accepted us, will we not accept others to bring praise to God (Romans 15:7)? Given that we can cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7), will we not encourage others to do the same, even encouraging them to share with us while we simply listen?

We may think it best given the short supply of compassion and empathy in our society to keep our own limited stock—like our hearts—under lock and key. But unlike commodities, compassion actually grows with use, as Michael J. Sandel has argued about altruism (See the review of Michael J. Sandel’s What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets at TheHumanist.com by Peter C. Grosvenor).

Whether we see someone drowning in water or in the depths of dark emotion, including ourselves, we need to call for help, and be attentive to help. A society in which everything—including human life—is a base commodity has no basis for meaning, and isn’t worth living in. Pick up the phone. Pick up the mic. Open the ear and heart.

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