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the ability to turn empathy on and off. However, just
because individuals have the power to empathize at will,
doesn’t mean they care enough to actually do it.
As humans, when we feel pain or experience suffering
at the level of a pandemic, it’s natural to want to understand
why. Scientists, researchers, medical professionals; even
laymen, have committed themselves to searching out
the source of the deadly COVID strike… and a way to halt
and cure it.
The truth is, that it isn’t reasonable to conclude
that a (perceived) good person will only experience good
things… and only a bad person will have bad things happen
to them. This line of thinking is very disturbing to some,
and extremely tough for untrained minds to process.
The commonly used phrase…“You get what you
deserve” is a longstanding universal belief. According to
the Macmillan Dictionary, this phrase suggests, “to be
correctly punished for your mistakes or bad behavior”—but
this isn’t always the case. All suffering isn’t necessarily
punishment.
Here again, we entertain the notion that suffering
is the scales of justice by which bad behavior is weighed
and measured. Consequently, people say things like “I
don’t feel sorry for him.” Or, “She got just what she deserved!”
There are many people who believe that those who go
through suffering, do so because of something they’ve
done wrong.
Job Certainly Didn’t Deserve What He Got—
It isn’t easy for most people to understand suffering
without fault. The Bible story of Job showcases the
epitome of suffering while living righteously for the Lord.