Romans 12:15 (NLT)

“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.”

Identify with your community. Identify with the experiences of those around you. Be sensitive. Don’t separate yourself so much that you don’t feel the pains, struggles and joys of the people among whom you live. Life is a journey and we need each other on the journey of life. When people celebrate events in their lives, be there with them. Don’t isolate yourself from the rejoicing around you. Spirituality does not forbid us from being happy with those who are happy. Two cautions, however: we should not celebrate the way they do if their mode of celebration is inappropriate, but at least they should know that we are happy for them; secondly, if they are celebrating evil, as holy children of God, we will not share in their evil happiness.

Likewise, let’s mourn with those who mourn. When people are sorrowing, we should not be rejoicing. We should be sensitive to how people feel. There is a time to sorrow and when that time comes, we should sorrow with them, or at least, not be seen as rejoicing in their sorrow. It is not spirituality to refuse to mourn. Jesus wept, so we shouldn’t see weeping as a sign of spiritual fragility or moral weakness. Even the strongest of us will have times of lowness. Identify with people at such times. Be sensitive to know when people need an extra encouragement and give it to them at such times. This is how we show that we are in step with Jesus Christ.

“Lord, make me sensitive at all times. Please Lord, help my heart to know when to celebrate and when to mourn with those around me. Don’t let me misstep in this regard. In Your name I pray. Amen.”