Monday Reflections: Empathy Is a Dirty Word
“The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love.”
— I John 4:18
Photo by UMCom
Recently, I had the opportunity to preach for a friend who was on vacation. She is the pastor of a three-point charge. Multiple-point charges are a feature in the United Methodist system. Often a pastor is appointed to care for multiple churches. Every Sunday, the pastor drives from church to church to lead worship and provide pastoral leadership.
This last Sunday, as a guest preacher, I didn’t want to say something that would create a problem for my friend as she was coming back from vacation. This time I felt led to use empathy as the centerpiece of the sermon. Of course, at any other time in history, empathy is the safest thing to talk about in church. Except in our time. Empathy has become a dirty word and controversial even in the church.
The Politics and Religion Research Institute (PRRI) recently conducted the 2026 American Values Survey. Within the survey, they asked participants to rank the statement “Empathy is a foundational moral value that helps build a healthy society.” Sixty-eight percent of all respondents agreed with the statement. On the other hand, 27% agreed with the opposite statement that “Empathy can become dangerous when it leads people away from building a society guided by God’s truth.”
When it comes to religious people, 73% of mainline Christians, 66% of Catholics and 44% of evangelical Protestants agreed empathy is a foundational moral value. On Sunday, at the churches I preached at, I asked them, “But, shouldn’t 100% of us agree that empathy is a foundational value, particularly when it comes to people who claim the Christian faith?”
Reflecting on the Bible reading, I shared with the congregation that sometimes fear makes us forget. We are bombarded with commercials that appeal to our fears. Social media ads find their way to our pages and appeal to our fears. Slowly we start seeing those we are told to fear as objects. We stop having empathy for them. We stop considering loving them.
Fear is a normal feeling. Evolutionary speaking, fear keeps us safe. Fear of the other does not keep us safe. Fear of the other is not conducive to a civil society. Our calling is to put our fears of the other aside and engage with them, respect them, have empathy for them when they suffer, and, regardless of circumstances, grow to love them. This includes our neighbors, our coworkers on campus, the people we supervise, those we serve, and everyone else. In truth, there is no greater calling than this.
Prayer
These days, it is difficult to feel empathy for those we fear. God, help us cast aside our fears and take on your love. Amen.
Rev. Eduardo Bousson
Senior Manager, Collegiate Ministries
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
The United Methodist Church
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This last Sunday, as a guest preacher, I didn’t want to say something that would create a problem for my friend as she was coming back from vacation. This time I felt led to use empathy as the centerpiece of the sermon. Of course, at any other time in history, empathy is the safest thing to talk about in church. Except in our time. Empathy has become a dirty word and controversial even in the church.
When Paul writes to the Philippians, he is aware that his life is unfinished. He knows he still has more to accomplish. He is driven by his mission and his love for others. I know an unfinished life is not the same as an abridged one. They have in common that they are not complete, that there is more to do.
The University Senate of The United Methodist Church has approved a new Framework for United Methodist Formation, establishing a more comprehensive and flexible approach to preparing United Methodist candidates for ministry at approved non-United Methodist theological schools.
