Empathy

When we talk about empathy, we tend to focus on its use in sharing negative emotions. When we are to bear one another's burdens, we usually think more about comforting those that stand in need of comfort and mourning with those that mourn and showing a little compassion for those who are struggling. But the definition of empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It doesn't say understand and share exclusively negative emotions. Having empathy is just as vital when we are rejoicing in one another's triumphs as when we are commiserating in one another's failures. Rejoicing with those who rejoice and congratulating those who stand in need of congratulations are just as much a part of empathy as mourning with those who mourn and comforting those who stand in need of comfort. If we are willing to bear one another's burdens of heartbreak and sorrow, then we ought to be willing to also bear one another's far weightier burden of glory. When we allow envy and jealousy to poison our hearts and make us angry at the success of our brothers and sisters, when we find ways to tear down those who are succeeding, when we secretly pray for tragedy to wipe what in our belittling eyes is the smug look from off of their faces, then we do not have empathy in our hearts and we are not living up to our baptismal covenant to bear one another's burdens. If those who are suffering deserve our support and our empathy, then those who are triumphing deserve our support and our empathy just as much. When we sulk and grumble at the fortunes of others we are depriving ourselves of our share of the joy and triumph that could have been ours if we had empathized with them, just as we are depriving them of a good friend with which to share it. We are commanded to bear all of each other's burdens, not just the ones that we feel like helping out with.