Empathy & Lament

ABOUT THE SERIES

October 9 | Praise: Lamenting with God

October 16 | Empathy: Lamenting with Others

October 23 | Confession: Lamenting with Self

October 30 | Justice: Lamenting with Community

Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings of another; entering into someone else’s pain; walking alongside another, helping them know they are not alone. Lament is the passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Though lament is a lost practice in our churches today, it is found in a majority of the psalms and is modeled by Jesus. Lament is integral to scripture and our faith.

We have much to lament—sickness, loss, poverty, injustice, loneliness, mental health struggles and more—but we tend to avoid it at all costs. Yet, avoiding lament doesn’t make the need for it go away. Instead, avoidance can disconnect us from ourselves, each other, and the healing God seeks to bring to us and through us.

In this series, we are exploring lament and empathy together, because true biblical lament includes participating in the pain of others. Join us as we explore the depths of lament and empathy, and how they can help us become more compassionate and complete followers of Christ. When the church engages in lament and embraces a posture of empathy, we open up space for God’s restoration in a hurting world.