Horizons Magazine

Amos had a lot to do at the zoo, but he always made time to visit his good friends.”

Readers of Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead’s A Sick Day for Amos McGee (New York: Roaring Book, 2010) quickly see that Amos does so much more than visit his friends. He reads stories with the owl, who is afraid of the dark. He sits quietly with the shy penguin who isn’t part of any of the other playful penguin duos or trios. He runs a race with the tortoise, and Amos even claps as the lumbering reptile beats him over the finish line. Amos is a role model of compassion. He recognizes what each animal enjoys or needs, then settles in to enjoy the activity with the animal. (Spoiler: When Amos stays home sick one day, the animals treat him with equal care—to the point that it’s hard to tell whether it’s Amos or the animals who get more out of the activities.)

As the authors in this issue note, compassion isn’t just a feeling, and compassion and empathy aren’t the same thing. Empathy is understanding how another person feels or experiences the world. Compassion means using that understanding to offer meaningful, respectful support. It’s not about adhesive bandages or quick fixes, but rather, it’s about sustained attention and respect. In short, compassion is about living into the example that Jesus set.

But this issue isn’t just a list of ways you can be compassionate. It’s a tool for the lifelong development of compassion and a celebration of how com-passion enriches everyone involved. Or as A Sick Day for Amos McGee suggests, compassion blurs the lines between giver and receiver and lets us rest in a space of loving presence.