"If We Only Understood" by Brother C.T.Russell

[The Librarian]

"If We Only Understood" by Brother C.T.Russell

Could we draw aside the curtains
That surround each other's lives,
See the naked heart and spirit,
Know what spur the action gives-

Often we would find it better,
Purer than we judged we would
We would love each other better
If we only understood.

Could we judge all deeds by motives,
See the good and bad within,
Often we would love the sinner
All the while we loathe the sin.

Could we know the powers working
To overthrow integrity,
We would judge each other's errors
With more patient charity.

If we knew the cares and trials,
Knew the efforts all in vain,
And the bitter disappointments-
Understood the loss and gain-

Would the grim external roughness Seem,
I wonder, just the same? Would we help where we now hinder?
Would we pity where we blame?

Ah, we judge each other harshly,
Knowing not life's hidden force;
Knowing not the fount of action
Is less turbid at it's source.

Seeing not amid the evil
All the golden grains of good,
Oh, we'd love each other better If we only understood.

Charles T. Russell From "Poems of Dawn" 1912

[Isabella]

19 minutes ago, The Librarian said:

Oh, we'd love each other better If we only understood.

🥰

[Srecko Sostar]

5 hours ago, Isabella said:

5 hours ago, The Librarian said:

Oh, we'd love each other better If we only understood.

🥰

Perhaps i am pessimist, but this two not working together (many, often times) in same direction. 

For example, understanding other people emotions, words and deeds and circumstances need to be understood through our mind or understanding, emotions .... and our experience. Complete lack or insufficiency of some level in needed measure of some or of all of this segments (and many more) will not bring to "enough" love and/or understanding for people in closer or distant places.    

[JW Insider]

13 hours ago, The Librarian said:

Charles T. Russell From "Poems of Dawn" 1912

Nice poem, but it was not by C.T.Russell.

It had already been published in the Christian Science Sentinel in 1899.

It had already been published in a Theosophy journal in 1904.

The Oregon Law School Journal in 1902.

The Current Literature magazine of October 1890 published it with the added information that it had come from "The Fireside Magazine."

I assume it was published anonymously in the Fireside, because it shows up in several other places from the 1890's even up through very recently.