On Caring

Caring is that quality of character by which one displays kindness and concern for others.  It is a virtue often demonstrated by those who look after others who are unable to look after themselves, especially the sick and the elderly. 

I am fond of Leo Buscaglia’s quote on the subject, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”  

In the family we can observe this virtue in practice by mothers who raise children, husbands who care and provide for wives, and sisters who tend to ailing brothers.  In society at-large we have come to know what are called the “caring professions” such as teachers, nurses, and doctors.  Within the field of education, there is a concept known as  in loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent” which refers to the imputed responsibility of an organization to take on the function of a parent.  Among the top corporations in the private sector, enlightened managers and leaders “mentor” their charges.  Even in government, there is an ever expanding notion that the the State exists to care for its citizens.

Roman mythology offers an insightful creation fable that describes how how humans came into being and the importance of caring for their survival:

One day, Cura (Care) was was engrossed in thought by the river and began molding clay from the earth into various shapes. She fashioned one shape that especially intrigued her. Wanting this new form to enjoy life, she beseeched Jupiter to grant it a soul (or spiritus). Jupiter obliged Cura by breathing life into the earthly form. Cura then requested that this new creature be named after her. When Jupiter objected, the two appealed to Saturn, to serve as arbiter. Saturn decreed that when the new creature dies, its body would return to Earth, which was its origin; its soul would return to its father, Jupiter, who had given it life. But all the time it was alive, its name would be homo because it was made from humus (earth) and its life was to be entrusted to Cura.

As Roman mythology emphasized the importance of caring at the beginning of time, so the Christian tradition (which evolved within the Roman Empire) reminds us of the importance of caring at the end of time.  In the New Testament (Matthew 25: 34-36) Matthew relates the following teaching of Jesus on the subject of caring:

“Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’”  

And when did they do these things? They did them when they cared for the least of his brethren without expecting a return. That is caring.