It’s terribly easy to find fault with others. After all, we have an ‘objective’ view. The twin imperatives of justice and compassion should direct our gaze elsewhere. In justice, I acknowledge my own failings. By doing so, I am able to be more compassionate toward others and their failings. In that way, I build community through right relationships.

Developmentally, young people are ‘caught up in their own stuff’. Given that they are in the midst of the delicate task of ego-building and meaning-making, we need to tread carefully. We need to help them glimpse their limitations, without crushing them, to build compassion in them. We also have a responsibility to hold them accountable for their failings. It is also our task to show the young people in our care that the doing of justice lies inward as well as outward. As it has been said, ‘the world will only change if we do’.

Have a great week!

Patrick