Erin Reno- Phen. of Prayer Reflection #1

The Key Role of Empathy in Spiritual Communications

Reading The Phenomenology of Prayer, I encountered the section where the author speaks of empathy and its role in incarnation.  As mentioned in the book, it is interesting to observe how, as it was put in the book, this “Golden Rule” of treating others with empathy has a prominent role in each of the world’s major religions.  As someone interested in philosophy, my immediate thought is to take this to infer that the capacity for empathy is a core aspect of the human condition, therefore explaining its presence around the world.  But to look at it through a spiritual lens brings in a whole other perspective. Empathy is required if we are to have any relationship with the Other, human or not. In practice, expressing empathy involves both letting go of oneself, and directly involving.  You must let go of your own prejudices and opinions, while also actively engaging your soul in the feelings of another. This is no easy task and takes conscious effort, but then again, maybe that’s what makes spiritual communication special. If it was easily done with little growth, then the difference between the human and the divine would be lessened, therefore bringing the divine to a mortal level, which goes against the very nature of it. 

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