everyone around me is feeling the strain

of endless news reports, sadness, fear, empathy, and speculation.

It seems especially hard on people who feel the responsibility of keeping others safe.

So, I thought it was time to repeat this post.

Take care of yourselves, loved ones.

There are things I’d rather not know about or see.

I’ve no need to peer inside the human body–

but I’m glad there are people willing to do that so that if someone I love requires surgery, it can happen.

I’ve no desire to understand the mind of drug lords or child predators

but I’m thankful for law enforcement experts willing to understand them in order to stop them.

I prefer to think about helping the poor, creating works of art, and saving the planet than to have to ponder subjects like

human trafficking, animal cruelty, domestic violence, greed, corruption, and substance abuse –

but I deeply appreciate people willing to devote their lives understanding these issues and working to combat them.

In the course of the job I do on weekdays, I encounter a hefty measure of life’s ugly messiness. I often see the twisting work of the evil one up close and very personal.

It’s not easy to see, impossible to forget, and challenging to come home and process. But, I’m not alone.

There are other people who see things in the course of their work that others don’t even want to know about.

First responders who arrive at accidents or fire or crime scenes no one should experience.

Medical staff and medical examiners who have front row seats to injuries, illness, and loss that would keep most of us up at night.

Law enforcement and armed forces personnel who see the worst of humanity. Missionaries who serve in the midst of unbelievable poverty. Ministers who are called to work with those involved in prostitution or to those reduced to their lesser selves by opiate addiction. Caregivers of all kinds who minister to people in their weakest and most vulnerable, sometimes most tragic states.

Once, a sweet, older, Christian lady asked about my work. I didn’t have two sentences out of my mouth before she held up a hand and recited Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” NIV

I sort of looked at her blinking until she explained, “I don’t want anything of the world to fill my thoughts. I don’t understand how anyone can allow that kind of thing in and still have room in their mind for the Lord.”

Okay.

I get it. The jobs I’ve mentioned are not for everyone. It is a challenge not to let the things we see occupy more of our thinking than that which is lovely and pure.

But often, what we see is true and seeing it is usually the first step to stopping it, which is noble.

So, I’ve no desire to condemn the sweet, Christian lady for not wanting to hear or see

 except to say I don’t believe the verse from Philippians was intended to be used in the same way a child sticks his fingers in his ears and chants, “la-la-la-la, I can’t hear you!”

It would have been sufficient to say that she couldn’t bear to hear any stories of sadness or pain. God has different callings for us all.

But He does call some of us to see what makes others turn away, and while seeing is a particular burden, it actually makes more room in our minds for God, not less.

Because, when we open our mind to the pain, the suffering and, the agonizing stories of others and when we agree to carry their burdens for even a time, then we have the very mind of Christ.

To all of those who are called to see – you have my gratitude and my prayers. I am especially praying this week for the first responders in Newtown, Connecticut and to all those first responders trying to protect the children in their own communities from future incidents.

If you want to reach out in the name of Jesus this week, send a note, a card, a plate of cookies to someone in your community who is willing to see what would destroy the rest of us and say “thank you” for protecting me from things I don’t even know are out there.

And loved ones, it’s okay to turn the media off, close your eyes, and allow God to heal you from all you’ve heard this week. It’s okay to heal. It’s okay to survive this terrible tragedy.

Press in to God, loved ones. There is evil in this world but evil doesn’t get the last word.

First and Last – the Word is Jesus.