By Michaela Gordoni
Tim Tebow explained the difference between sympathy and true compassion in a recent social media post.
“It’s not enough to feel something. You gotta take that feeling and turn it into action,” Tebow explained. “We could walk by someone on the street that’s hurting or homeless or going through a tough time, and you could have empathy, but you can keep your distance — you cannot do that with compassion.”
True compassion means you can feel what others feel.
“One of our core values at the @timtebowfoundation is ‘We hurt when they hurt.’ It’s not comfortable,” Tebow captioned his post. “But it’s worth it — because the people around you don’t need someone who feels bad for them. They need someone who shows up.”
Related: Looking Back on Mr. Rogers’ Legacy of Kindness and Compassion
Tebow’s compassion has led him to be a tremendous voice for the voiceless and to found of The Tim Tebow Foundation, which advocates for and helps human trafficking victims and those with disabilities all around the world.
“Our mission is to reach as many of the world’s most vulnerable as possible,” Tebow said.
It hurts him to know that so many are waiting for help, and his foundation does everything it can to get to them faster.
“Every day kids are being targeted by predators, not in some dark alley, but on their phone in their own home,” he said.
Tebow has spoken several times at Congress about human trafficking and the need for rescue and prevention. He recently went to Capitol Hill to plead support for child exploitation rescue.
“It is a thin line between tortured and treasured,” Tebow told lawmakers. “And you are that thin line,” he said, urging the chamber to approve the Renewed Hope Act, which would combat exploitation and provide resources for victims.
Tebow’s foundation reports there are 57,000 active unidentified and unreached victims of child trafficking in America.
“Every day, [these children] are praying that we are going to respond,” Tebow said. “But how are we going to respond?”
“I am convening this subcommittee hearing to expose how our youth are groomed, exploited and overlooked by the existing system,” he said. “Congress must dismantle the criminal networks that profit from exploiting the most vulnerable among us and put an end to child trafficking.”
In addition to many other initiatives the foundation has, each month, the foundation also provides six grants to families seeking assistance to adopt a child with special needs. Thank God for Tebow’s true compassion. He’s changed many lives and, God willing, will positively impact many more for years to come.
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