Kindred,
"I do not ask a wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person, My hurt turns livid upon me as I lean on a cane and observe."
- Walt Whitman*
Empathy is the ability to become the wounded person and understand the pain.
Too often people fail too see and feel another's pain.
If someone hurt you, disrepected you (or your children), treated you (or your children) with less than honorable intentions and caused you (or your children) physical and emotional harm, would you be O.K. with it?
We can quote the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”; however, without empathy, wrong doers would feel nothing while continuing to do something they would never want to happen to them.
With or without empathy, the Law of the Prophets are clear.
Whether someone feels the gravity of their sins or abuses, does not negate the abuses, sins and crimes perpetuated.
Because Judgement Day will be based upon the Lord's understanding, it would be helpful to know where you stand with the Lord before then; and that way is through empathy.
Ask yourself empathetic questions:
Have you done something to someone that you would not want to happen to you (or your children)?
To what degree?
How many times?
If you can reexamine your actions through the eyes of empathy with the Golden Rule in mind, then you will have an inkling of what the Lord's judgement will be on Judgment Day.
*from Walt Whitman's poem, "Song of Myself."
