In my own experience of life as well as in my coursework in mental health, I have realized the crucial importance of empathy. Empathy is one of the very special gifts of the human experience because it allows us to look past biases and superficial aspects of life and to see the shared humanity of others. Empathy is a God-given grace that encourages us to take on the Christ-like compassion that is very hard to possess. It is much easier to be empathic with people that you love and admire but when it comes to people that have wronged us or have cause deep emotional pain, empathy is much harder to come by.
In Philippians 2:2-4, St. Paul so eloquently writes, “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” For St. Paul, empathy requires much more than being benevolent to others; it also requires humility. Humility leads human beings to acknowledge the hurt and pain within themselves to acknowledge and try and understand the hurt and pain of others. Some might say being empathic in certain instances requires “being the bigger person.” This is not for the faint of heart–being empathic can be extremely painful and difficult and requires the support of some force bigger than ourselves. Empathy is only a grace that God can give because it is something that only God can help us with.
Having empathy for others is something I personally strive to do every single day. It can be easier on some days where I find that I can easily identify or connect with other people but it can also be challenging to try and find common ground with individuals vastly different from me. Humility is a huge aspect of empathy which can often be hard to find in the wake of emotional pain. Prayers are so important in developing empathy because empathy cannot simply be developed by human means but it requires God’s strength and grace in order to truly connect with others on a much deeper level. I rely on my faith in God and ask Him to give me the grace of humility to look past my own hurt and feelings to recognize the shared humanity in others.
A Prayer for Empathy
We pray for Empathy – seeking to understand:
ideas, people, situations, ourselves, our faith, our hopes,
seeking, exploring the why of life, the why of who we are.
Use us as channels of understanding to help others grow. We take our part in your creation more fully when we offer ourselves to others and to you. Use us, we pray.
Place people in our path that will cause us to grow and whom we can help grow. The things we desire, we pray for those whom we find difficult to love, as well as those close to us.
Lord, lead us into wholeness, whatever that may be,
in Jesus name.
Ejuma is a 2018 graduate of Boston College and is a current master's student in the Mental Health Counseling Program in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development. As an undergrad, she majored in English and Women’s and Gender studies. Even though she has lived among Patriots fans for the past five years, she is very loyal to her home team, the Baltimore Ravens. Ejuma is passionate about mental health and wellness, women’s rights, social justice and racial issues. In her free time, she can be found catching up on her favorite shows, This is Us and Modern Family, baking or going for a run.
- The Gift of Empathy - February 26, 2020
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- Community, Healing, and Celebration - November 27, 2019