Empathy
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15
{EMPATHY: the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.}
I think this word has been going around me for a while. It's like one of those terms that you've always cherished, but suddenly it's omnipresent, speaking to you once more.
There's a significant lack of empathy nowadays; it's as if people are losing touch with their emotions, and their ability to feel. It seems they no longer sense the pain of others, perhaps because pain is too "mainstream" in our world. It’s everywhere, including in your own life. Instead of stepping into the shoes of others, we compare our pains, our sufferings, and our troubles, placing them all on a scale.
At times, a surge of empathy is triggered when something major, according to our "scale", occurs. Nevertheless, it's like a fleeting moment that brings us back to where we should be. However, with the same swiftness as it arrived, it departs, and we move on.
It's incredible that God Himself knew how essential empathy is in the process of grace, mercy, and love. To demonstrate all these things, He had to feel what we feel, and suffer MORE than we suffer. He had to go through the pain of being a human being and experience the fear we face, the hatred, the rejection.
Jesus embraced us. He put Himself in our shoes, and even when those around Him didn't exhibit any level of empathy, He didn't compare, He didn't scale sins, problems, or pain; He died for us and for all.
Empathy enables us to see others with the eyes of grace. It pushes us to love and understand more. It makes us more sensitive, selfless, and ultimately more like Jesus.
For you:
Every day we confront issues, some of them we might not know how it feels. When faced with problems that require empathy to understand them, practice active listening, focus on the meaning and feelings. Be present and interested. Because it’s not part of your reality doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. Pray with and for those who suffer, and seek to understand before criticising.
