This is right. That is wrong. At the very core of our being, we know the difference. In fact, that knowledge is a fundamental part of what makes us human. Only a tiny sliver of us lack that knowledge, usually due to some illness or condition that leaves us without that part of ourselves.
We are born with this sense, with a conscience. Even toddlers, for example, understand when one of them needs comforting, although that knowledge may be developed through socialization.
This idea formed the basis of Insight’s discussion Sunday from Rabbi Harold Kushner’s Nine Essential Things I’ve Learned About Life.
Some in our class think that only humans possess this quality, this empathy with our fellow beings. Others disagreed, asking: what makes elephants mourn their dead? What makes a pet lie beside someone who is ill?
What triggers our sense of right and wrong? Is it proximity or relationships we may have to a location or group of people?
As people of faith, we are called to care for one another. C.S. Lewis said that caring for people with no connection to us Is the presence of God within us. It has also been called the urge to do something when we cannot undo a tragedy that has occurred, as Oklahomans responded to the federal building bombing.
This is right. That is wrong.
Written by: Marie Price
