Read, Believe, and Surrender

I would like to suggest a threshold event for humanitarianism, that being empathy.

I do not pretend to understand how we are capable of leaving our own skin in a very real sense to occupy the sensibility of others, to feel as they feel, to not merely sympathize but to feel as they do, to empathize. To sacrifice our own feelings to that. To put ourselves to one side to dwell in another's skin and to, furthermore, act to help them and, God willing, to save them. I do not understand how it is that we can do this, but we do.

I say "humanitarianism" even as I have Christ in mind, but I do not say "Christianity" as not every self-proclaimed Christian is of an empathetic nature. Empathy is a light burden if you are inclined, but if you are not it appears to be virtually impossible to obtain. The non-empathetic Christian is preoccupied with their duty toward God to the exclusion of mercy toward his or her neighbor. The non-empathetic Christian views empathy as a fault. As weakness.

The non-empathetic Christian is not, strictly speaking, Christian at all.

How Christian is empathy, after all? I believe that the entirety of the Gospels rests and relies on empathy as the critical distinction that signals the reign of Christ.

Do I sound a bit fed-up?

I am a bit fed-up.

I am tired of self-righteous posturing. I am tired of disregard. I am tired of people who say "God" but mean "Me." "My Me, have mercy on Me. Lead Me to greener pastures where Me is regarded in the light deserving Me. Teach all people the glory of Me. Let those who do not properly reverence Me suffer as Me sees fit. My Me, have mercy."

If you cannot put yourself to the side, if you cannot abandon your own feelings, thoughts, and opinions, you have slim claim as a Christian. Simply put: vacate. Abandon you. Shut. Up. Go. Home. Stop. Stop. Stop.

When the world is collapsing, when the world is burning and all is lost, the Christian will not be screaming I told you so. The Christian, whether he or she conducts themselves in the currently (2018) approved manner, will be the one reaching out to another soul to ask, "How can I help." In that act, the Christian is both honors their belief and is believable.

I know too many Christians who worry and argue about what Christianity is rather then simply believing in it and living what it is. For the love of Mike. If there is a clearer user manual than the Bible I would live to see it.

Read
Believe
Surrender

Let God take care of the rest.