Compassion

What does it mean to be compassionate? How does it go beyond merely caring for others? The last several years in America have seen a sharp decline in compassion. A deep political divide has surfaced, and even worse, those who are called most to be compassionate and caring have often betrayed the very beliefs they profess. It has created a roiling climate where "us against them" has become the initial focus on every issue. Each side would rather win than be proven right, because the other is automatically wrong simply by being "the other." At the center of this battle is the Christian faith, which has been exploited by some and compromised by others. The same people that derided Bill Clinton in the nineties for his personal indiscretions now laud Donald Trump as a savior despite similar indiscretions. For those that were raised in this, it can cause a crisis of faith.

Travis A. Miller is the founder and site manager of Hammer & Rails, an SB Nation community dedicated to covering the Purdue Boilermakers. He is a 2002 graduate of Purdue and can often be found in West Lafayette or wherever Purdue football and basketball are playing. He has seen the Cubs win a World Series in his lifetime so he knows that nothing is impossible. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his wife, son, and cat.