October 31
Apathy vs. Empathy (Part 2)
As soon as Jesus heard the news [of John the Baptist’s death], he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. ––Matthew 14:13-14, NLT
Empathy is the antidote for apathy. The root word for both, “pathy” comes from the Greek pátheia, meaning “suffering” or “feeling.” It shares an origin with the English word pathos. Apathy equals not caring, and empathy means “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.”
“I’m not a very empathetic guy, Kenny. I’m more of a stoic,” you might say. I get it. But I’m not talking about faking a personality trait you weren’t born with. I’m talking about digging in hard in your prayer time and asking the Holy Spirit to give you a spirit that is empathetic. He will, because it’s His heart.
Jesus was the perfect model of Spirit-led empathy. When the woman with the issue of blood touched Him, was healed, and He felt power flow out of Him, where did that power go? That’s right, into her. Do you think that healing experience changed her? So do I.
Jesus tells us this in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Yes, this means the power to withstand the enemy. But it also means the agency, the ability, the spiritual “juice” to move empathetically. Here’s an interesting exercise. Take a day where you record all the bad news vs. good news you hear—it could be from conversations, social media posts, news you hear or read, etc. Chances are that the 80/20 rule will apply: 80% negative news. And yeah, the point of “news” is to tell us the major events happening around the world—disasters, wars, famines, accidents. But the point is, in the natural realm, it’s really easy to become depressed or apathetic after a while.
That’s why it takes a supernatural exchange from the Holy Spirit for you to receive the “bandwidth” or, again, the agency to be able to rise above the negative mire and act through movements of mercy, compassion, and kindness. Elvis Costello (look him up if don’t know who he is) said it best: “What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?” (The song by the same name was written by Nick Lowe, and covered by Elvis Costello. A classic.)
Let’s break this down into bite-sized chunks. When the church talks about the power of the Holy Spirit, we get images of healing meetings where dramatic things happen and physical or medical miracles take place. And I love that! I’ve seen miraculous healings; they are real. I wonder, however, if there is equal or greater Spirit-given power in the small, undramatic, daily acts of kindness that He wants us to perform. I believe it with all my heart.
We all know hate when we see it. Apathy is easy to spot too. But what really catches people’s attention? Compassion. What a rare commodity in today’s world! I believe that type of compassion—born of the Spirit—is real power. Godly power. Masculine power. Now go get some—and give it away. Then get more, give more, and repeat. Let’s start a compassion conspiracy that the Holy Spirit can take around the world. It’s the opposite of toxic masculinity—it’s the tonic the Spirit gives us men as we emulate Jesus.
Father, I need Your supernatural power to see the suffering of others as You see it, and to do the acts of compassion You require of Your servants.
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1 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empathy