Empathy

Hey,

Last night was kinda crazy for me. I learned that a friend of mine from high school has cancer. Not only is that crazy but the fact that he is younger than me, just makes me sit back and shake my head in disbelief.

I wish I could say this is the first time this has happened, but earlier this year I found out that a friend from here also had cancer. He had brain cancer, a tumor the size of a golf ball pushing against his pituitary gland, most likely causing his recent onset of diabetes, sweaty hands and clubbed fingers. A few months ago he had a very risky (what brain surgery isn't) two part surgery to get rid of the tumor. By the grace of God it went very well. He has been doing great and the second part of his surgery comes up in about a week, which is both nerve racking and also exciting that after this surgery he should be tumor free!

It still strikes me as bizarre though that these things happen. As cliché as it is, it's like how you never expect those things to happen to you. The same I think goes for people you know. It happens to people on t.v. or in the newspaper or someplace, somewhere, far, far away.

While thinking about this I am confronted with my sinful nature. By this I mean that in the past month, a person I know from school started selling shirts that say "Cancer Sucks" and the profits are going to a friend of his, who is also battling cancer. To be honest, for the most part, I see them selling those shirts and I walk by and think "well that's nice" and move on. Almost as if I have amnesia and I forget that I have a friend who just had a tumor removed from his head.

When I heard the news last night, I wanted to do something, and it made me sad to think that I wasn't motivated to help their cause because I didn't have the empathy in my heart.

In systematic Theology, we learned one day about the consequences of sin. They try and boil down the consequences of sin to four categories: 1.Depravity 2. Enslavement 3. Condemnation and finally 4. Alienation. I think the most damage is done in the latter. For instance, my heart was/is concerned about me, and if we want to be gracious it's concerned about the people I know. I alienated it to not feel for people selling caner sucks tee shirts on the green on campus. I don't know the person, and I don't have cancer, why should I get involved? Why should I give?

It breaks my heart that I don't heart for others sometimes. "break my heart for what breaks yours" is a great line from a song that says exactly what I want to change in my life. It's not that I have no empathy, because I feel for the homeless and poor, and people in war and war torn area's. But for some reason, this seemed distant.

My prayer is not that I/we would give money and buy a shirt, because I don't think that's the point and I think it's short sighted (though not bad, don't get me wrong), but that I/we would give our hearts to those in pain, and to see someone and to feel with them, not for them, but with them. The best remedy for this is prayer. Stand in their shoes before God and pray on their behalf. That's the real solution. Pray that God would give us, them, and others perspective. Pray that they we/they would be loved and comforted and that we could be the instrument that brings that.

My 2 cents:

How Deep the Father's Love for Us:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Vivre dans l'amour et la paix,

drew

Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé.