Compassion vs Empathy

Lately I have pondered the difference between these two words. Similar and both related to feelings, but by no means synonymous.  Due to some recent events and some ongoing life challenges, I've wanted to dig into these sentiments a little deeper.

Compassion is a wonderful quality. It's definition is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. For example, I can feel compassion towards someone who lost their spouse or towards victims of the earthquake in Haiti. But when I feel compassion, what can I really do for that person besides pray for them and do tangible things such as making a meal, sending a card, or writing a check? Maybe what these people who deserve my compassion need more is someone who understands and cares.

This leads into the definition of empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The simplicity of this definition really struck me. I immediately thought of my two closest friends who I can quite easily say have shared similar burdens and hardships as I have experienced.  Only the grace of God allowed our paths to cross at the time they did. Then I thought about what a gift it is to be able to empathize with another human being. I can't think of a closer connection one can have with another person (outside of a family/marriage relationship) than to be able to know almost exactly how someone feels in a situation. Then I thought about my life and how if it had turned out the way I thought it should have, I most likely would have never met these two said friends. This of course leads into a chain of "what ifs" which I do not like to investigate simply because my mind would never stop.  I guess all that to say, the hard things I have experienced and the uncomfortable times in life have given me the gift of empathy in many respects. I get excited when I can see a little glimpse of how the Lord constructs different situations in each of our lives in order to serve His purposes. A challenge for each of us is to view every struggle or valley as a way to learn from it and help someone else that might be going through or that will go through a similar situation.

I concluded that while compassion is very important and we are called to display it, I think that empathy is an earned gift you can share with someone else. So be thankful for those tough times and make the most out of them. Take notes during that time. Write down Bible verses, books, or ways God answered prayers through it. Who knows...those thoughts could one day be shared with another who might face a similar valley.