Opening our hearts…makes us vulnerable.  In that vulnerability we fear that they may be broken.  And yes, the world’s pain does break our hearts, over and over again.  But a broken heart is not a paralyzed one.  Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and the saints, prophets, and masters of all religions have revealed this.  Heats are broken open, not destroyed: and from an open heart’s capacity to be with suffering, healing arises.  Healing is not something that can be offered from a distance, an outside attempt to “fix” a problem.  Rather, healing emerges from the act of “being with” suffering.  The healing relationship is established by the authentic presence of an open heart.

            Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon  from “Prayers for a Thousand Years”