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Empathy


The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (I Corinthians 2:14)

          There’s a lot being said about how this group, or that person cannot possibly understand what life is like if you’re a Black person. They’re tired of trying to explain because no one listens. No one really understands. And they’re right. Unless you are Black, you don’t fully understand what it’s like to live life as a Black.

          Of course, if you’re some version of Latin, Asian, White, American, Canadian, British, male, female, neurodiverse, mentally ill, a retail or fast food employee, a CEO, a Muslim, a Hindu, an engineer, a farmer, a truck driver, or a fish, you can’t understand what it’s like to be one. That is a universal truth. No one understands what it’s like to be something one is not. So, while some are screaming in our faces, “Have empathy!” it’s not really possible. What is possible is pity. We feel for rather than with, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing necessarily. The problem with pity is that it doesn’t transfer power to the person to whom it’s given.

          There’s another group that isn’t understood: Christians. Today’s passage tells us that those who aren’t Christians consider Christians to be foolish. Things connected with Christianity can only be understood from the inside, just like all those other groups mentioned above. In fact, being a Christian is probably being a member of the ultimate “outsider” group. If a Hindu speaks of the trials of being a Hindu, it would be rude to say, “Well, stop being a Hindu!” If a Black tells of the difficulties facing Blacks, we’d be told we are absolutely wrong to say, “Well, stop being a Black!”

          But the Christian tries to describe the challenges of living as a Christian in this world, he/she is told, “Well, stop being a Christian. Don’t believe all that foolishness that you believe!” The thing about worldviews – deeply held beliefs – is that they don’t go away on command. Christians cannot put aside their believes because someone spouts “facts” at them any more than a Black person can. This is one of those things every group needs to understand and accept.

          But neither should we throw facts out, because it is as we grow closer to reality, and as we deal with the facts presented to us, and dig deeper to find the truth that we grow.

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