An Exercise in Empathy

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Yesterday the Thursday noon Brown Bag and Bible study group gathered at Seneca Presbyterian Church to begin our journey into the writings of the Apostle Paul. We turned to the opening verses of Paul's letter to the Philippians. We didn't have to read very far before we were overtaken by the emotions of this letter. Across the span of two thousand years, the love that Paul held for these dear friends in faith became real for us. We heard it when he spoke of joy, of how he held them in his heart, and longed for them with the compassion of Christ Jesus.

All those observations could have been just a simple intellectual exercise, but for us they became something more. I was amazed at the openness and sharing that happened among us, ignited by those words of Paul. We've always been talkative - but this time something was different. It was personal - and it was alive. It set me to wondering...

• Could it be that the honest sharing of human emotion among trusted friends is the deepest pathway to understanding, which in turn leads to reconciliation and ultimately peace?
• Could it be that we are unable to walk the journey of reconciliation until we understand the private journey of those who walk with us? 
• Could it be that the words of others, even words that are so distant from our time and place, can serve as the catalyst for deepening our own understanding and increasing our empathy for one another?

I want to test that theory this Sunday with the psalms. We have long recognized that the raw human emotions contained in the psalms can open the door for our own personal healing. But what if those words can also open the door for our inter-personal healing, for our understanding of others?  

I'll be using as my catalyst a lecture I heard from John Bell at the recent Festival of Homiletics. The stories are his - stories that come from his great capacity to engage human story as he travels the world inviting others to enter faith through song. So I am deeply appreciative of my source, and give him full credit.

I'm also glad for the opportunity to share his stories as they guide our exploration - especially of two rather unconventional psalms: Psalm 88 and Psalm 94. Neither of them appear in the lectionary. Walter Brueggemann calls Psalm 88 "an embarrassment to conventional faith." Psalm 94 could be called subversive. They are raw human emotion safely spoken aloud in God's holy presence. Read them over before Sunday - if you dare!