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Empathy And Justice In The Christian Journey

Empathy And Justice In The Christian Journey

Last updated on: April 4, 2025 at 2:35 am by Henry Karlson

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Empathy And Justice In The Christian Journey 2025-04-04T02:35:40-05:00 Henry Karlson

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National Gallery of Art: Rembrandt van Rijn– Christ Teaching / Wikimedia Commons

Empathy. Sympathy. Compassion. Kindness. Tolerance. Meekness. Humility. All of these qualities are those which should be associated with Christians. Christians should embrace them as they deal with others. This is because they are qualities which Christ uses to deal with humanity. Thus, Scripture tells us that Jesus is the high priest who is able to have empathy with us, and so sympathize with us and our condition, because he became one of us, and experiences the human condition with us (cf. Heb. 4:14-16). Obviously, some of these qualities, if taken as absolutes, could lead us astray, as any and every virtue, when taken as an absolute and out of its holistic context, ends up undermining the principle itself. That is, just as justice without mercy is not proper justice, so tolerance without justice, likewise, becomes intolerant, undermining its own essence (which is what the paradox of tolerance demonstrates; it is a paradox only because tolerance is treated as an absolute). Jesus, therefore, engages us with these qualities, even as he does so with justice, a true justice which is never apart from mercy, nor justice apart from taking in the proper application of these qualities.

Sadly, I have seen many Christians seeking to undermine these principles. They tell us tolerance, tolerance, compassion, and with it, kindness are not Christian principles. Once they are denied in this fashion, such Christians then find it easy to treat others with cruelty, and in doing so, encourage other Christians to do so, making Christianity a religion, not of mercy and peace, but of legalism, power, and control. When they are confronted and told that they are to love their neighbor, to promote the common good, to look after and take care of those in need, even if those in need have qualities they do not like (such as they are making their way in the world as a prostitute in order to survive another day), they will find some way to deny what they have been told. One way this can be seen is the way they tell us they do not need to be nice to others, that Christ was not always nice, and that those who expect them to be loving, merciful, empathetic, and compassionate to those in need are expecting them to be nice in a way Jesus was not; they say the church should not be nice, that the “church of nice” is a corruption of the way Christ wanted the church to be like. Once this is accepted, the notion of being nice is demonized so much that the only possible conclusion that people following this can have is that cruelty is a good, which is why governmental cruelty, such as cruelty to migrants and refugees, the poor and homeless, to cruelty to the elderly or those with various disabilities, becomes not only acceptable but seen as a must. This also is why they embrace an absurd conclusion, one which says that empathy is a sin. While I was initially taken back when I heard people saying this, more I thought about it, the more I realized that this could be the only result of the moral decline promoted by those Christians who have denied the importance of kindness for the Christian faith.

Of course, the reason why I indicated the notion of empathy being a sin is absurd is because such a claim represents the utter perversion of the Christian faith. Believing it would tell us Jesus with his compassion, with his empathy for the human condition, is a sinner. For, following what was said in the book of Hebrews, Jesus, God the Word, in assuming human nature, came to know the human condition from within, and this was one of the reasons God became human. Christians, looking to Jesus, should see empathy is a principle intimately connected to the incarnation, and so they should imitate it in their imitation of Christ. Indeed, as Christians are meant to join themselves to Christ so as to join in with his work in the world, becoming his hands and feet in the world, as it were, they must follow Jesus in the embrace of empathy and use it in their relationships with others.

To be empathetic with someone, to understand them, to be sensitive to them and their feelings, does not mean we need to agree with them, just as Jesus, in knowing our condition, did not agree with our sin but rather used his understanding of us as a foundation for helping us overcome sin. For he showed himself to be the good physician, one who took the time to get to know and care for his patients, demonstrating to his patients his care so that they would be able to be confident in his ability to help them and give the them the grace and love they need. His empathy with us, his drawing near to us to come to know us and our situation, is what draws us to him. Jesus, therefore, showed us that in dealing with others, we must do what we can to be empathetic, for that is how he engages us; and, when we are empathetic, we find ourselves becoming compassionate, merciful, tolerant, meek, and humble, just like Jesus. Obviously, our empathy, and the qualities which flow from it, should not be used to undermine justice in the world, but rather, they should all serve as a way to promote justice and have it fulfilled. For those who are empathetic and compassionate will be far more successful in having those who need to change their ways to do so, even as those who are indifferent, or worse, cruel, will have many people ignore them or do the opposite they are told, because they will want nothing to do with those who treat them with such contempt.

I cannot help but think Paul, in the book of Romans, represents all of this when he wrote:

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:15-21 RSV)

Paul was showing us the way we should be when dealing with others; not only should we be empathetic, but sympathetic as well. We should mourn with those who are mourning, such as those who are suffering grave injustices at the hands of the powers that be. We should rejoice, moreover, with the people who find relief. We should look for and care for those in need while seeking justice for them when their needs are unjustly denied them. We should do what we can to produce the greatest good in the world, and to do that, we need to know the situation of everyone. That is, by being empathetic, we will be have insight as to how to make things better.

Sadly, Christianity has become seen as the opposite of what Jesus and Paul preached. Christians are seen as being judgmental instead of compassionate, cruel instead of merciful and loving, intolerant instead of tolerant, prideful and boastful instead of humble. Christians are seen to be rigid and legalistic, incapable of understanding or caring for the ways of others instead of listening to them and trying to understand them. The world is right to reject such a Christianity, because it is also a Christianity I reject. I see behind it, not the spirit of Christ, not the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of the anti-Christ, a spirit which is trying to supplant the Christian faith from within and use the new, undermined faith as the foundation for dominating and then destroying the world. Christ is empathetic, the false Christ, is not; the way of Christ promotes empathy so that with it we can properly know others and love them, while the spirit of the false Christ will deny not only empathy, but love of neighbor. Christ elevated the poor and needy, the vulnerable and those disenfranchised by society, while the spirit of the anti-Christ will elevate the rich and powerful, reinforcing the disenfranchisement of the poor and vulnerable. It is up to each Christian to determine which they will choose to follow; for me, I will follow Christ, embracing empathy, compassion, mercy, kindness, and love, not, of course, in opposition to justice, but with justice, knowing only in and with them can true justice be embraced.

* This Is Part LII Of My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series

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N.B.: While I read comments to moderate them, I rarely respond to them. If I don’t respond to your comment directly, don’t assume I am unthankful for it. I appreciate it. But I want readers to feel free to ask questions, and hopefully, dialogue with each other. I have shared what I wanted to say, though some responses will get a brief reply by me, or, if I find it interesting and something I can engage fully, as the foundation for another post. I have had many posts inspired or improved upon thanks to my readers.

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