October 27, 2022
Rev. Richard P. Smith
| James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless if this: t0 look after orphans and widows in their distress…. |
In this passage we find Jesus’ brother emphasizing the place of compassion, empathy, and kindness in our daily walk.
You and I might get our theology wrong; we might misstate the doctrines of the Christian faith; we might not be as Biblically astute as we could be; we might not be the most disciplined church member…but we can and should be compassionate people. Few things will clarify that we are followers of Jesus as much as lives of compassion and caring.
I’m certainly not saying that theology, doctrine, Biblical understanding and church commitment aren’t important they are. But, even if we get it right there, we miss the boat if we are not compassionate and kind toward others in our daily Christian lives.
A key motif in Christian compassion is empathy. I don’t think we can have true compassion if we don’t have empathy.
Some of you know that one of my favorite writers, poets is Shel Silverstein. He wrote wonderful pieces for children and for adults. Among his notable works are The Giving Tree, Where The Sidewalk Ends, and The Light In The Attic. One of my favorite poems of his, which I’ve shared previously in my devotional writings, is titled, The Little Boy And The Old Man.
Said the little boy, ‘Sometimes I drop my spoon.’
Said the old man, ‘I do that too.’
The little boy whispered, ‘I wet my pants.’
‘I do that, too,’ laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, ‘I often cry.’
The old man nodded, ‘So do I.’
‘But worst of all’, said the boy, ‘it seems
Grown-ups don’t pay attention to me.’
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
‘I know what you mean,’ said the little old man.
What, then, is empathy?
It is seeking to understand the plight of another person. It is asking oneself what it would be like to be in that situation. It is reaching out with sensitivity and understanding. It is doing what one can to make a difference for the good of the other.
As James sees it, religion that “is pure and faultless before God” is religion that calls each of us to be empathetic and compassionate people ever wanting and willing to seek to understand and to help others.
