The Bible, Jesus’ daily life, and his teachings are filled with examples of the kind of empathy he asks of us. Empathy mirrors Jesus’ willingness to connect, suffer, and celebrate with humanity. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” [Romans 12:15]. “Remember those who are in prison as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured as though you yourselves were being tortured” [Hebrews 13:3]. “Have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” [1 Peter 3:8].
Christians are called to empathy not as a burden but as a spiritual ability and divine gift. As the apostle Paul wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” [Galatians 6:2]
Different than compassion, empathy is a foundation for actively loving and caring for others’ well-being with thoughtful support and wise guidance. It’s not about diving in to “fix” something. Really listening is crucial for nurturing empathy, to understand another’s thoughts and feelings before responding. Our willingness to walk alongside reflects how Jesus manifested his love and care for humanity.
Helping someone is good, but empathy can become dangerous. Even a sin. Concerns include excusing sin, compromising biblical principles, emotional manipulation, ignoring sound moral judgment and making us vulnerable to moral compromise. Some fear empathy can lead us to feel too much for someone and blur our ability to determine right from wrong. Or empathy can lead us to feel with people rather than correct them.
Some consider empathy as compromising Christianity itself—because it leads to social justice as an attempt to rectify past and present wrongs in an effort to detract from their reading of the gospel.
To some Christians, the world is so corrupt that empathy becomes weakness that compromises with evil.
Extremist Christian Propaganda is Harmful to All of Us:
So much stems from a lack of empathy.
Seeking empathy and encountering judgment rather than support is harmful to both parties. Sadly, too often that’s what people encounter when they reach out to Christian communities. When they experience rejection and isolation when they need comfort and guidance, people feel hurt by unempathetic Christians and can become less compassionate, too. This can perpetuate patterns of judgment, divisions in communities. With no emotional connection to understand the impact of issues like poverty, discrimination, and abuse, these get overlooked or even dismissed. Christians fail to recognize or address real suffering in their communities. Where the lack of empathy leaves a void, Christian communities get trapped in ritual rule-following and this kind of spiritual pride prevents the spiritual growth Christianity is supposed to foster.
It seems ironic—the extremist take on empathy is the literal opposite of Jesus’ life and example. The absence of empathy corrupts what many consider Christianity’s core message to be, turning a faith centered on love and compassion into something that causes the very suffering it’s meant to heal. Empathy is a bridge to cross divides and nurture understanding, reconciliation, and healing. Something in short supply today.
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