Evil is evil, and it is wrong for me to attempt to soften it for myself or others.

Today, innocent suffer, people are exploited, friends die, and disease ravages. To give meaningless platitudes steals dignity from honest and real grief.

We all want to take pain and tragedy away. We want to avoid evil, so we degenerate into telling others things that are not true.

The most blatant offense in this situation is citing the verse without proper thought and consideration, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” _{^{(a much, much better understanding of this familiar verse is found here from the brilliant, Dr. Haley Jacob – you owe it to yourself to check it out – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehHlqvija-M&t=666s)}}

The reality is there is an unanswerable evil, and to try to shrink it steals dignity and honor from others.

Perhaps the better plan is to be with. We need to extend authentic compassion to each other. I read

somewhere this week that the Latin root for the word compassion is pati, which means to suffer, and the prefix com – means with. Compassion, originating from compati, literally means to suffer with.

Instead of trying to twist real evil into a domesticated box, simply attempting to be with, holding the other with dignity, being physically present in the hardship not only humanizes the other in trauma but perhaps provides the only thing that truly helps.