Empathy

 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.                                                          Philippians 2:5-8 (Living Bible)

Empathy seems to be getting a bad name these days in some quarters. Some church leaders and government officials seem to be saying that empathy is not healthy. They posit that it may be making people weak. Their argument is that “empathy” amounts to a false gospel of “kindness” that enables a culture of “coddling” and “weakness.”

I suppose that any virtue to an extreme can become a weakness. I am concerned however that a fundamental facet of the Christian faith- empathy- may be suffering from a more political definition than a moral one.

The highest example of empathy is the central theme of Christianity- the Incarnation of Jesus. Jesus willingly took on human form and life in order to demonstrate the love of God in the flesh to his creation. He literally put himself in the place of those who are suffering and need a new understanding of what God’s love is.

So, let us be clear about how we discuss empathy. We all need such understanding, and we would all benefit from more of it. To be sure, we must be clear-headed about how we help others, and how we relate to them. However, being able to see the world from another’s perspective is important to our own mental health and well-being, as well as being critical for societal cohesion. Without it, we become insular, indifferent, and maybe even cruel.

So, if we follow the example of Jesus, we will be attentive to the needs of others, and empathy will be the most endearing asset of the Christian life.

Prayer: Lord give us vision and capacity for empathy that is needed in our world, Amen