It wasn’t pretty.
Snot dripping, ugly crying, sobs echoing across our sanctuary as I knelt at the altar grappling with the grief of injustice and the burnout I was experiencing from trying to heal the world. As I led faith based anti-human trafficking campaigns on college campuses across the country, I was weary from travel, and the toll of the horrific stories as we raised money for and awareness about the modern-day slave trade.
News flash. I didn’t heal the world.
But I encountered a Jesus who could restore me.
Compassion fatigue is a term that describes the physical, emotional and psychological impact of those in caregiver roles, such as teaching, medicine, caring for the physical and spiritual needs of others and justice work. Compassion fatigue is more than burnout, it’s a response to secondary trauma and stress. The stories of injustice we see as we scroll facebook, local or national decisions that we feel powerless to change, fear for the safety of friends and family in vulnerable situations- it’s overwhelming.
As I began grappling with my own humanity and the words of John 15:5 “apart from me you can do nothing” Jesus began to shift my understanding of restoration. I saw the ways caring about and for others became an all-consuming drive, leaving me with little left for myself or my family. I was running on empty emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Jesus, fully God and fully human, the man of Sorrows is familiar with how hard it is to be human. Scripture shows us ways to find restoration from compassion fatigue in the long haul of caring for others. Below are some of the lessons I learned from trusting Jesus to be the one who is the source of compassion.
Practice sabbath and rest. When we acknowledge our humanity we recognize that sometimes we need a nap and a snack. Rest is an invitation and a gift for us to step away from our work to trust Jesus that he cares far more for others than we can imagine.
Find Community. The author Cole Arthur Riley writes “Self-care can be sacred, but we won’t survive by it. It’s exhausting to be your only hope of relief. Who can you trust to hold you? Collective care is our calling.” Where we are tempted to isolate ourselves in pain, our community can embrace and remind us of God’s love and faithfulness.
Discover what restores you. It can feel selfish or callous to not be constantly tuned into the pain of people around us. Fueling anxiety, anger or fear will never be a source of restoration for us or for others. We are wonderfully and uniquely created as Imago Dei- the image of God to reflect his goodness and love. During my season of recovery I began baking. The process of creating, eating, and sharing freshly bread smeared with butter and jam filled my heart with joy. Often, it is engaging in something physical or tangible that helps refocus towards Jesus’ restoration.
Lament and pray. The Psalms are rife with cries against injustice, confusion of God’s seeming absence, and expressions of despair for our broken world. It is appropriate to lament and to call on God to be who he is: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.” (Psalm 89:14) This is the same psalm where the psalmist cries out “How long, O Lord will you hide Yourself forever?” It is ok to be angry over injustice and brokenness. And it is ok to trust God with that anger.
Jesus is meeting us at Mission Adelante as we grapple with injustice and pain in our community and world. And Jesus is present with each of you, his beloved children, as you turn to Him to fill you with his love and compassion as only He can.
