There is a raw, unyielding truth in our time: compassion, a cornerstone of the Christian faith, is each a divine command and a human challenge. In a world steeped in pain and division, the decision to like each other—as Jesus did—resonates with a strength that can not be silenced. Yet today, a term has emerged to query one in every of Christianity’s most cherished virtues: “toxic empathy.” Let’s boldly examine the layers of Christian empathy rooted in the reality of God’s Word (NKJV) and unpack why, for some, this sacred quality is now under fire.
What Is Christian Empathy?
At the very heart of Christianity is the life and teachings of Jesus Christ—a person who, in His earthly ministry, exemplified the purest type of empathy. Jesus’ compassion is vividly illustrated within the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 NKJV), where He redefines neighborly love, urging His followers to see beyond boundaries. He encountered the girl caught in sin (John 8:1-11 NKJV) with a heart filled with mercy, selecting understanding over condemnation. In these moments, His empathy was not a passive emotion but an lively, redemptive force.
Christian empathy is firmly based on the assumption that one and all is created within the image of God (Genesis 1:27 NKJV), and thus, each individual is inherently worthy of dignity, compassion, and respect. This empathy goes beyond mere feeling—it’s a call to motion, a mandate to mirror the unconditional love that Christ so powerfully demonstrated.
True Christian empathy means not only feeling the enjoyment and pain of one other but sharing in it, as we’re called to “rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those that weep” (Romans 12:15 NKJV). It moves believers to motion—whether by offering a listening ear, extending a hand in service, or sharing the resources God has blessed us with. It’s a commitment to follow Jesus’ example, embodying the novel, sacrificial love that He commanded in John 15:12, “This is My commandment: that you just love each other, as I even have loved you” (NKJV). This brand of empathy is supposed to interrupt down barriers, foster real community, and reflect the guts of the Gospel. Yet, as with every deeply held value, its practice in the fashionable world has revealed complexities when theory confronts reality.
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