Maybe it’s because the internet makes news travel faster. Maybe it’s because of global warming. Either way, it seems like every other day we’re hearing about some sort of natural disaster like wildfires, earthquakes or floods. Not to mention, man-made disasters like wars.
Often, communities rally to help those affected by these types of disasters, and people around the world send money, food, and supplies or physically come to volunteer. However, when it seems like there is a disaster every day, it’s easy to succumb to compassion fatigue.
What is compassion fatigue?
Compassion fatigue is the slow loss of compassion for humans going through disaster. It’s not that you stop caring or are incapable of empathy, but it’s that you can eventually grow numb and deaf to the frequent news of disasters.
It may even be a defense mechanism. Getting upset every time you hear about a disaster can be disastrous for your mental health, so you stop letting yourself feel as connected or compassionate when you hear about another one.
While we do not want you to guide yourself to a state in which your mental health is affected every time something bad happens in the world, we do want people to recognize their numbness to disaster and remember to be compassionate to their brothers and sisters in need.
The need for compassion
We must always remember that God is ultimately in control. Even when something bad happens and it seems like there is no hope, God has a plan; whether we get to see it in this lifetime or later is up to Him. We cannot fix every problem on our own by sending food, money or other help. But that shouldn’t stop us.
When we send food, money, medicine or volunteers to help in times of disaster, we show God’s love. We may be doing His will by helping others fill their bellies or find shelter when their homes have been destroyed.
We make the world a better place every time we care for others. Let’s try to do it more often. Don’t let yourself grow numb to disasters. Find out how you can help.
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