On Thursday, I tried to reach one of my colleagues at work. I had an urgent message to pass across to him. His line was switched off. I was upset because it was 8.30am and considering his role, I just couldn’t fathom that his line would be switched off at that time. I sent him a text and a WhatsApp message. One asked why his mobile was off at that time.
I had to pass the message to another colleague to resolve the issue. About an hour later, my colleague called me. I was still upset about my inability to reach him and I was in the process of asking how his customers would feel if they were in my position when he said, ‘I’m sorry, sir. I was just called that my mother died’.
I kept quiet for a moment and I told him I was sorry. Actually, he had switched off his phone to process the unexpected bad news and grieve. That bit of information changed my mood from being upset to empathy. I was mad at myself for being mad at him. The situation changed as I had to put myself in his shoes. Every other thing paled into insignificance- not even the information I wanted to pass across. That didn’t seem so urgent anymore. I ended up sending him a text to condole with him.
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Whenever we encounter issues of mortality, nothing should be more important. Not even our political or religious divides. We all should drop our bias and wear our cap of empathy. Empathy is a true demonstration of our humanity. If you cannot show empathy, you’re not humane- you’re an animal. A beast that has no feelings. If you’re incapable of empathy, you’ll also be incapable of loving.
This is why I can’t understand those who mock the dead. The person who is alive cannot say for sure how he will spend his last moments. No one has been given that gift of foretelling where and how he will die.
Let us mourn with those who mourn. May the Lord comfort them all.
