This wasn’t supposed to happen

Responding to tragedy with empathy

Yesterday 26 people lost their lives when a man opened fire during a church service in Texas.

Lives cut short. Others injured and scarred for life. Unthinkable heartache. So much grief, anger, and fear.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

How can we respond to such a tragedy? What does empathy look like in this situation?

We can be present (literally or through social media), grieving with the victims. We can pray. We can reach out to others in the area, letting them know they’re not alone. We can acknowledge their pain. We can listen.

We can also look for solutions to gun violence knowing there are no easy answers and no quick fixes. We can work to prevent the next massacre while not using this one as a platform to blame or argue with other people.

We can be honest about mental health challenges — our own and other’s. We can withhold judgment and reach out when a friend mentions depression, mood swings, anxiety, or another struggle.

We can be real. This wasn’t supposed to happen. We don’t want it to happen again.