The meaning of Christian Empathy

THE WORD IN LENT - 5th week, Monday

March 30, 2020: Daniel 13:1-9,15-17,19-30,33-62; Jn 8: 1-11
Point for Dialogue #26: Our self-pity and insensitivity!

"Slow to anger and abounding in love", those are the attributes oft repeated about God. If we have to speak of our tendencies today, we should put it this way: 'Quick to judge and totally merciless!' Regardless of who the person involved is, it has become a culture to pass unjust judgments, circulate untrue gossips and entertain unwanted evaluations. Nowadays with the thought of the pandemic around, 'the other' is more and more defined and seen as a threat, a threat that could infect you, a threat that could cause you sickness and even death.. Is it truly a Christ-ian attitude? 

The first reading tells us - even if the whole world around you joins together to tear a person into pieces, you stand aloof and act by the Spirit. The Gospel reminds us - even if it were true that a person has made a mistake, give the person another chance, for God has been endlessly patient with you! Aren't these truly Christ-ian attitudes?

The Word today invites us to deepen a dialogue within us between our tendency to expect everyone to stand by us when we are in trouble and our eagerness to stay clear of any trouble when it comes to  standing for someone in their times of trouble, a dialogue between our self-pity and insensitivity! 

And these are possible only when we empathise with the affected person. Christ empathised with the woman brought to be stoned, he empathised with Zacchaeus, with Matthew the tax collector, with the Samaritan woman at the well, with Peter who denied his master... Christian Empathy, does not approve of the wrong doing or the limitation, but loves and respects the person who is involved. That love and respect, inspires the person to 'Go and sin no more.'