What is empathy

One dictionary says that empathy is the “identification with and understanding of another’s situation, feelings, and motives.” It has also been described as the ability to put oneself in the other fellow’s place.

Empathy requires first of all that we comprehend the circumstances of someone else and second that we share the feelings that those circumstances provoke in him. Empathy involves our feeling another person’s pain in our heart.

The word “empathy” does not appear in the Bible, but the Scriptures do refer indirectly to this quality.
The apostle Peter counseled Christians to show ‘fellow feeling, brotherly affection and compassion.’ (1 Peter 3:8)

The Greek word rendered “fellow feeling” literally means “to suffer with another” or “to have compassion.” The apostle Paul recommended similar sentiments when he exhorted fellow Christians to “rejoice with people who rejoice; weep with people who weep.”

The Bible relates about Jesus: “On seeing the crowds he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

Empathy is something the world could use more of nowadays.

Have a gander in the dictionary and you will see my picture. Sometimes its a curse, but one I can live with.

Empathy is compassion - putting yourself in someone else's shoes. The theologian, Paul Nouwen, wrote: "True compassion is feeling as sorry for the man beating the dog as the dog being beaten."

Having compassion and understanding for someone who really makes you angry.