Show Empathy

There's no stronger bridge that we can build into someone's life than the one called "empathy". When we listen, when we feel what they're feeling, be they right or wrong, they feel seen, they feel heard, they feel understood. It's like letting oxygen into the room. Finally, they can breathe. Václav Havel was a Czech writer, dissident, and statesman who became a symbol of peaceful resistance against communist oppression. As President, he once visited a prison where his political enemies had been held—some of them jailed during his own years of suffering. But instead of seeking revenge, he listened. He empathised. And he insisted on a peaceful transition, even inviting former opponents into dialogue. One stunned guard said later, "He treated us like human beings when no one else would." Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. How easy is it, amidst our busyness, to neglect celebrating the successes, the victories, of those around us? A word of encouragement for a job well done costs nothing. A smile and sparkle in your eye when they've had a win is pure gold. It's even easier to neglect someone else's suffering because it's raw, it's difficult, it's inconvenient. Yet the tears in your eyes as you feel their pain will build a bond that'll likely never be broken. Who, in your life, needs your empathy? To whom could you draw close, by feeling what they feel? Empathy doesn't shout. It simply opens the door, transforming anything from a nation to a single soul in the process. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.