Amplify Empathy

John 14, key verse 15-31.

Jesus spends his final night in human form among us around a table. His earthly tent, God in the flesh dwelling among us, is about to be dragged off by armed guards, falsely accused by corrupt systems, and crucified. An innocent man, the Author of Life whom his very disciples abandon, our Suffering Servant and Savior choses to invite these same followers to share a meal together. Even Judas. John 14:15-31 expresses Jesus’s empathy for us; the Bread of Life provides for us the constant companion of nourishment in the Holy Spirit. Take a minute and read these words from Him to us in John 14, the entire chapter is not very long, and/or focus on John 14:15-31.

Adding power to these words from the mouth of the Son of Man is that Jesus indeed fully experienced the varied aspects of the gift of life. Theologians have written profound books on Jesus and empathy, the most meaningful to me being Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer. Rather than attempting to summarize this paramount theological work, I started to think about how we human beings form our deepest connections to one another. Empathy stems from shared experiences of this being human thing. Personally, I tend to connect the strongest to folks with shared love of music. Anyone who knows me already knows what music I’m referring too, it’s the music at the roots of all other music: The Blues. Which has been called by the bayou-born guitar-shedder Tab Benoit, “The Gospel for the common man.” My theology of ‘redemptive suffering’ was indeed formed by Blues music before I ever read Dr. James Cone, for example. Buddy Guy proclaims; “The Blues got what you need to get through them.” *if you want to see me get super excited, ask me about recently seeing the living legend live at the Majestic, at 90 years young I think Buddy Guy was better than he was the other 2 times I’ve seen him perform.

A current award-winning jazz/funk/rap/fusion faith-inspired group; Ezra Collective, is a new favorite band of mine. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve listened to their new album; Here Because of Hope. Not only is it an absolute stellar album, regardless of category, it also has amazing storytelling weaved throughout the music. The group is not a Christian band. However, they are greatly influenced by their faith. Even their name is Biblical and communicates the vitality of passing on our faith stories during diaspora and despair. Ezra Collective’s genre-bending music is jampacked with joy and hope, the influences of thier Christian faith are clearly heard. I’m very aware that Blues/Jazz is not enjoyed by everyone, so I’m not suggesting everyone listen to the album Here Because of Hope by Ezra Collective, here is only a segment of the lyrics at the heart of their album; “Part 2”,  what does this sound like it is describing to you?:

“there’s this energy that follows us, as a people, this familiar feeling seeking purpose, to belong, no matter how much they try to bury it, it just flows, it’s in our souls, moves through our bodies, the rhythm and melodies, it feels like home, rooted in truth, and that truth we chose to amplify, through a sound system.”

To me that sure sounds like the Holy Spirit! The Spirit is our Comforter and our Advocate, the Author of Life and our eternal source of empathy. I could have also quoted Ezra Collective’s entire first song, “Part 1,” or "Well Organised."

Or Johnny Cash’s “Why I Wear the Black” is an entire sermon on empathy. I’m guessing a few more of you are familiar with that one! If you’re not, go listen to it right now.

I’d love to hear more good song lyrics on empathy, share some of your favorites with me. Because it is time to turn up the songs of empathy, it is time to sing out loudly the lyrics of love! It is time to amplify empathy over the blaring apathy of our ego-driven, fear-fueled culture. Perhaps it seems like some days apathy’s amplifiers are at a decimal level that is simply deafening. That is the best time to remember the lyrics to your favorite empathy song. You might be thinking you don’t know any empathy songs to sing, but I bet you that you have a collection of 150 of them handy. The living history of our faith ancestors have been singing these songs all the way back to the time of that harp player King David. Open a Bible right up in the middle and you’ll find yourself in a wealth of empathy songs.

I find solace in the Psalms. Whatever emotion you are feeling, chances are outstanding that you will find your feeling sung in the Psalms. Expressing emotion is the heart of the Blues.

The way I see it people of faith have been singing the Blues since Biblical times, and long, long before they were all written down they were sung. Passed down from generation to generation, grandma to granddaughter, great-aunt to niece, father to son… The Word of God illustrated throughout the Psalms is our human emotions prayed, cried out and proclaimed as our faith ancestors struggled in this shared fleeting human condition. Psalms were sung in times of war, famine, economic collapse, depression, despair, victory, sickness, good health, trauma, prosperity, oppression, captivity, grief, thanksgiving… Expressions of human emotions cried out to God in these songs range from sinful vengeance to repentance, from suffering to celebration… I could start listing all the myriad of examples, but there are 150 of them in the middle of the Bible.

Psalm 37 has been on my heart/mind/soul for several weeks. So much so that I first wrote it on a note card, then drew it on a piece of cardboard.  I’m no artist, but I do have one working on something focusing on Psalm 37:5-6:

“Commit your Way to the LORD, Trust in God! The LORD will act. He will make your Righteousness shine like the light, and the Justice of your cause like the noonday.”   

Practicing empathy can be the start of doing justice. Stopping in the midst of our chaotic lives to intently pay attention by listening to someone, by sharing in their pain, by being open-hearted; can open up a space to hear the causes of their needs. By listening to why someone is suffering, not just the symptoms but diagnosing the cause of the disease, is how we can begin to uncover the injustices involved. So pay intent attention to the needs of those whose voices get drowned out the easiest. Those who can’t afford an amplifier, those who feel as if their mouths have been muzzled, those who similar to the Son of Man have been dragged away from loved ones, falsely accused by corrupt systems, and even innocently killed. Those kin need our empathy the most, they need to hear us raise our voices, they need justice…

Stay tuned for more next week, See you Sunday 10:50 worship and Open Table Communion. Holy Communion the celebration and reliving of Jesus’ empathy for us! There will be one loaf of bread that we all share together as one Body of Christ. We remember his pain in the breaking of the bread, his body, and commit to continue his ministry of healing, hope, and salvation, by drinking from the cup of the new covenant, to love one another as Jesus loves us!