Daily Lenten Offering

Desire without knowledge is not good, and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way.

—Proverbs 19:2

Loving and Gracious God, teach me all over again, for the first time, how to love. Let my love not be born of my own need to be seen or known or healed or helped, but in my capacity to show up for my neighbor. Make love real for me today and every day. Amen.

Empathy

According to Brené Brown, “Empathy is connecting with people so we know we’re not alone when we’re in struggle. Empathy is a way to connect to the emotion another person is experiencing.” Empathy builds on the humility and curiosity of the past two weeks.

When we have emptied ourselves of the presumption we know it all, we begin to ask genuinely curious questions, and then our heart can grow to offer compassion and love. Empathy requires a pause, a healthy space between two people to allow one to be seen and the other to offer care. How can you slow down your reaction time so that you can be present to someone else’s pain?

Blessing

Each week, we suggest to you a short moment of pause and prayer before you leave the house, or maybe even just when you get out of bed. 

“Empathy,” by Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Daring Classrooms.