In Trouble with the Empathetic!
Some might remember a talk from Brené Brown on "empathy" vs "sympathy." She argues that the sympathetic are distant, as sy mpathy drives connection while sympathy drives disconnection. This is the video in question: If that is a surprising video to you, let me share this. I first saw this video in a church at a trauma talk. I was stunned, but I didn't anticipate the blowback when I challenged this concept/ When Scripture describes Christ, it describes Him as a sympathetic high priest (Heb. 4:15). The term there is sympatheo , which means "to have/show sympathy with, sympathize with" (BDAG). One modern translation might render it "empathize," but that is more of a cultural translation than a direct translation. If sympathy is merely painting a silver lining on the dark clouds of sorrow, as this presentation alleged, then we have an ineffective Savior. Here's the reality: Empathy, when properly understood, is a lower or more basi...