After reading the book Holy Sexuality and The Gospel by Christopher Yuan as a pastoral team, one of the takeaways I got from the book was that empathy is our greatest tool to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the World.
No matter your race, gender, sexuality, or anything you place your identity in, Jesus wants to take that place. But having any conversation about such things without the holy spirit can be rather futile. I believe that empathy is the tool that allows people to share perspectives, feelings and hurts giving a mutual understanding of what is being communicated.
A simple definition of Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. To put it even simpler, put yourself in their shoes. (Jesus Lived This)
We are not talking right, we’re not talking wrong. We are simply Listening to Understand. I heard a quote once say, “No one cares what you know until they know that you care.” Will Lifespring be a place where those that are outside of the family feel welcomed, just as God has welcomed us? Will we be a church that lives out empathy to everyone we come in contact with?
This is definitely a personal struggle of mine and believe me when I say you don’t have to go that far to practice empathy. It’s one thing to say it and its another to live it. It requires us to often deny ourselves and be humble enough to do what God is asking us to do. But that’s what Jesus requires of us:
Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and be following Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what will a person be profited if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his life? Or what will a person give in-exchange-for his life?
This isn’t supposed to be rocket science or a solution to the world’s problems but just a place to start. If you’ve ever been in a relationship of any kind you would understand the power of empathy, how the very tones of the conversation change when you stop reacting and start listening, how listening and understanding one another can lead to a place of healing and how God can take you to a deeper level of His love. There may even be a case to argue that it’s harder to empathize with people outside of your family, friend group or sphere/circle but harder doesn’t mean impossible. Jesus doubled up and said I’ll take your hard and raise you impossible and He absolutely blew our minds with what God could do through Him.
Lifespring has done an amazing job of living out what it means to be a Kingdom Family: Genuine Love for God & Genuine Care for Others. I pray as our church gets bigger and bigger, that we would hold on to the very things that make us who we are. I pray that we would represent You to the world and that when they see Lifespring, they see You Jesus.