One man’s sorrow should not be another’s joy!

 Randolph Romero,Jr

Impressions Editor

  Even if I were to find out that children exploited overseas had made my clothes, I would likely still wear them.  Even though we know that many die each day from simply not getting food, we still waste so much food here in America. Indeed, it seems as if we operate by the principle that one man’s sorrow is another’s joy.

Life can be rough.  Thus seeing others being blessed while we wallow in the mud can be disturbing.  Why does he get the good job instead of an industrious person like me?  How come she gets all the attention when I am the good one?  We seem to not only want our cake and eat it too, but also have problems with either sharing that cake with others or even seeing someone else with a cake. 

I know it can be hard to see the new guy on the job merit more of a raise in three months than you did in three years.  I know it is hard to see that obnoxious girl get the boy you wanted.  I know it may be hard to see some idiot with less intellect and worse grades than you not paying for college.  However, must you take glory in and rejoice when such persons stumble and fall flat on their faces?

Hard as it is we must ascribe to a different philosophy.  As much as we do not usually want to do so, we must begin to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.  Be happy for the woman who conceives on her first shot when you have been barren four years.  Instead of flaunting your promotion in his face, be able to mourn with him who is laid off even though you just got a highly coveted promotion. 

We will not be stellar examples overnight.  We may never care much about the person from who knows where suffering from who knows what.  However, we can and ought strive to love our neighbor.  Care and minister in love to those you do know and see in Pittsburgh.  You will in no way excel at all times.  Nevertheless, now is the time for us to make a change.  We must desire to want to be capable of lovingly ministering to others.

I am sure you can recall a time when you were down in the pits.  When you were lying there helpless and destitute perhaps someone did take the time to help you.  Even if another has never uplifted you, do not be the one to step on a person when he or she is down.  Do not!  A person should instead empathize with others.  Perhaps you will never be able to enter someone’s pain in any real or physical sense, but you can offer such a person the love you yourself so crave and desire.

As much as we may dislike admitting such, we were created to operate in community.  With rare exception, interactions and relationships are a reality of life that cannot be escaped.  The health of the community is given a boost when we can support each other.  If we abandon our self-centeredness and allow ourselves to be saddened, though not thoroughly encumbered, for one another we are indeed strong.  We must seek to uplift those in the dumps instead of ensuring that they stay there.  As opposed to belittling those who are joyful, we should seek to share their joy.

Simply put, we need to be able to share in both the defeats and victories of others.  We need to serve one another lovingly.  Think twice about continuing to ascribe to the philosophy that the only way you can thrive is if someone else suffers and remains suffering.

Everybody needs a hand now and then.  That hand, however, should be an uplifting one as opposed to a suppressing one.  Seek to invest in lives, minister to others in love, and truly empathize with them.

 Randolph Romero, Jr. is learning in Christ how to be more loving.  Fortunately he has a lifetime of transformation ahead.

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