Which of these two places make you feel more nauseous?
Many people hate hospitals. There's that medicated smell. And red boxes of hazardous used sharps, each representing a needle that was stuck into somebody. Plus everyone is either hurting, or they are there to support someone hurting. People are worried and tense for good reason.
I had the displeasure of being in a courtroom yesterday to support someone. And I think now, courtrooms are worse than hospitals, for the following reason:
Everyone who has to visit a hospital has a common enemy: Disease.
Everyone who has to visit a court has "enemies:" People. (or even themselves.)
Disease is a result of sin, but not any person's individual sin (in most cases).
Conflict that has to be resolved in court is a result of people's individual sin.
Hurting people are everywhere. I was just thinking about this yesterday and wishing I could help hurting people in the court house. But I can't, because the issues they are facing are shameful - things people want kept private. All their humiliating dirt is exposed. In a hospital, someone says tearfully, "My daughter has cancer." And you can say something like "I'm so sorry, I actually know a little how you feel because my daughter has cancer too - maybe they'll be put in the same infusion room and they can be friends?"
But in a court house, if someone tearfully says "My daughter is about to go to jail for dealing drugs," and if for some reason you are able to say "I'm so sorry, my daughter is in jail for dealing drugs too, maybe they'll get put in the same jail together and they can be friends!" It's just one of those things where being empathetic doesn't really make the other person feel any better.
Broken bodies are sad, but broken relationships are sadder.
Many people hate hospitals. There's that medicated smell. And red boxes of hazardous used sharps, each representing a needle that was stuck into somebody. Plus everyone is either hurting, or they are there to support someone hurting. People are worried and tense for good reason.
I had the displeasure of being in a courtroom yesterday to support someone. And I think now, courtrooms are worse than hospitals, for the following reason:
Everyone who has to visit a hospital has a common enemy: Disease.
Everyone who has to visit a court has "enemies:" People. (or even themselves.)
Disease is a result of sin, but not any person's individual sin (in most cases).
Conflict that has to be resolved in court is a result of people's individual sin.
Hurting people are everywhere. I was just thinking about this yesterday and wishing I could help hurting people in the court house. But I can't, because the issues they are facing are shameful - things people want kept private. All their humiliating dirt is exposed. In a hospital, someone says tearfully, "My daughter has cancer." And you can say something like "I'm so sorry, I actually know a little how you feel because my daughter has cancer too - maybe they'll be put in the same infusion room and they can be friends?"
But in a court house, if someone tearfully says "My daughter is about to go to jail for dealing drugs," and if for some reason you are able to say "I'm so sorry, my daughter is in jail for dealing drugs too, maybe they'll get put in the same jail together and they can be friends!" It's just one of those things where being empathetic doesn't really make the other person feel any better.
Broken bodies are sad, but broken relationships are sadder.
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