What is Empathy & why Jesus wept.

What is empathy Dad? My daughter asked. "It's almost like Sympathy. You know, you look at someone who's hungry or someone who's wounded or shivering in a cold winter night or someone who's poor... and you feel pity. You feel bad!". I answered. But even as I was saying it, I knew that doesn't define empathy. Empathy is something else. Just then a verse from Bible sparked in my mind. A very special verse. That verse is--
"Jesus wept".
This verse is special because it's considered the shortest verse in the Bible. But it's special not just because it's shortest. It's special because it proves Jesus was 100% human. But when u get to know the story, you will also realize why He was 100% God.

So the story goes like this. Jesus was friends with a man called Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. One day when Lazarus was seriously ill and was on a deathbed, Mary and Martha sent a word to their friend Jesus. Now Jesus, was pretty famous those days doing lot of miracles like opening the eyes of the blind, making lame walk, healing lepers and casting away demons etc. So, they wanted Jesus to come and heal their brother but Jesus, despite knowing the seriousness of the situation, stayed where He was doing what He was doing.
Finally Jesus said to his 12 disciples "let's go see Lazarus" and they asked "why?" He said "Lazarus is dead. that's why!". The disciples were surprised that Jesus let his friend die instead of going there and healing. So when Jesus went to the town where Lazarus dwelt, his sisters came running to him. They were weeping, crying and looked devastated with the death of their brother. They held Jesus and said "If only u heard our cry and came immediately...he would have been alive. Now it's 4 days since he is dead". looking at the pain of His friends and their agony, JESUS WEPT.

Jesus wept. That's a proof that He could feel pain and feel helpless. That's a proof that He was 100% human. But Jesus already knew that Lazarus would die. He knew exactly when Lazarus died. Now that's a proof that Jesus was 100% God. From there Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus and calls him out to life. He raised Lazarus- who's dead for 4 days and stinking, back to life. That's 100% God. But then the point is not that here right? The point here is - What is empathy?

Jesus wept. He wept looking at the tears of Mary and Martha. he wept despite knowing that their mourning would turn into a laughter in just few moments. Why? Was He faking an emotion? shedding tears just like that because it's a ritual to mourn along with those who mourn? NO! Jesus, wept, Despite being a God who is in control of the past and future, because He felt their pain. He took their anguish into Him. He became Them. And when He did that, He couldn't hold Himself back. He couldn't control the agony. So He wept. That's what it means to empathize.

Empathy is feeling the hunger of a man who's starving- even though your stomach is full. Empathy is looking at a man who's poor and feeling the pain of not having- even though your pocket is full. Empathy is looking at a JNU student who's skull broken and bleeding, or a Pehlu khan whom the mob is lynching, a Nirbhaya or a Disha who is brutally raped and murdered-empathy is- feeling the pain and the suffering they went though and crying, even though you are sitting comfortably in ur sofa in your cozy home in that moment. Empathy is that.

Empathy is what made God human. Empathy is what makes a christian CHRIST-ian. When you don't have empathy, forget that you are a Christian. You just got a religion.

క్రైస్తవులతో చలం అనుభవాలు-1

చలం ఆత్మ కథ నుండి. 10 వ అధ్యాయం. పేజి నెం. 60.

మద్రాసు వీధుల వెంట ఇద్దరమూ తిరుగుతున్నాం. ఆ జూన్ నెల లో సూర్యుడు మండిపోతున్నాడు. ఇప్పుడు నాకు ఉద్యోగమైంది కనుక నా జేబులో కొన్ని డబ్బులున్నాయి. కానీ జెట్కాలెక్కి తిరిగేటన్ని లేవు. అప్పుడు మద్రాసులొ తప్ప, తెలుగుదేశంలో ఎక్కడా ఆడవాళ్ళ hostels లేవు. ఏ school అన్నా వొయ్యిని చేర్చుకుని చౌకగా ఉంచుకునే hostel కనబడుతుందేమో అని వెదుకుతూ తిరుగుతున్నాం. ధరలూ, మర్యాదలూ, విద్యల కొలతలూ ఏమీ తెలియని వాళ్ళం. మా దుమ్ము కొట్టిన మొహాలు, పాత బట్టలు చూస్తేనే మా మీద ఎవరికీ నమ్మకం రావడం లేదు. మా దేభ్య మొహాలు చూసి ఒక క్రిస్టియన్ ఆయన,"Can I be of any help? అన్నాడు.అదేమి అద్రుష్టమో గానీ, కారణం లేకుండా సహాయం చేస్తామని ఎవరు వచినా వాళ్ళు క్రిస్టియన్లే.
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మా సమస్య నివేదించుకున్నం మా కొత్త మిత్రుడితో. రెండు మూడు ప్రశ్నలు వేసాడు. మా బతుకుల దరిద్రం గ్రహించాడు. కులం లేని వాళ్ళం. దైవం ఎంత దగ్గరిగా ఉన్నడో మాకు తెలియదు ఆ నిమిషాన.
రాయపురం girls high school లో try చేసారా? అన్నాడు.
"That is very good place for you."
సంతోషం గా మేము వెళ్తూఉంటే
"God bless you"అన్నడు.
ఆ school కి వెళ్ళి, ప్రిన్సిపాల్ ని చూస్తానన్నాను. మేడ మీద ఒక పెద్ద గది లోకి తీసుకెళ్ళారు ప్రశ్న లేకుండా. అక్కడ ఒక ముసలి ఇంగ్లీషు ఆమె ఆఫీసు బల్ల మీద కూచుని రాసుకుంటుంది. కళ్ళెత్తి మావంక ప్రశ్నార్ధకంగా చూసింది.
"ఏమెని చేర్చుకుంటారా?" అని అడిగాను." of course" అంది. రిజిస్టర్లు, కాగితాలు పక్కన పెట్టాను. ఈ లోపల కాగితాలు తిరగేస్తూ వొయ్యిని పిలిచి పక్కన కూచో బెట్టుకుంది. మళ్ళీ రాసుకుంటొంది. ఒక రెండు నిమిషాల తర్వాత, తల ఎత్తి నాతో."all right you can go" అంది. నాకేమీ అర్ధం కాలేదు. మర్నాడు మళ్ళీ వెళ్ళాను. వొయ్యి బట్టల పెట్టె తీసుకుని. ఆమె నన్ను చూడగానే కూచోమంది. వొయ్యి గంతులేస్తూ వచ్చింది."ఇక్కడ చాలా బావుంది. భోజనమే ఇబ్బంది. కానీ నేను ఇబ్బంది పడ దల్చుకోలేదు. నాకు నువ్వు నెల కి 17 రూ. పంపితే చాలు. "నేనింకా దిగ్భ్రమ నుండి బయటికి రాలేదు. "వీళ్ళు ఒక వేళ christian మతం లో చేరమంటె చేరనా? ఇక్కడ అందరూ క్రిస్తియన్లే" అంది."నే వెనుక నేనూ అవుతాను. హిందూ పీడ వదిలిపొతుంది "హిందూschool ళ్ళలో, govt. school ళ్ళ్లో వాళ్ళ చూపులూ, వాళ్ళ గర్వాలూ, వాళ్ళ ప్రశ్నలూ జ్ఞాపకం వచ్చాయి.

ఆ రాత్రి నేను సంతోషంగా రైలెక్కి నా యుధ్ధభూమికి; అంటే నేను పని చేస్తున్న స్కూల్ కి 60 మైళ్ళ వేగంతో తిరిగి వెళ్తున్నాను. అంతం లేని చీకట్లో, ఈ తెల్లని చార గంభీరంగా, ద్రుఢంగా, నిర్భయంగా, ఏ సందేహాలూ లేకుండా ముందుకు పరిగెత్తుకు పోతూంది. నా జీవితం అట్లా సాగిసాగిపోకూడదా? నా పక్కనే ఒక 20 మంది కూచుని ఉన్నారు. వాళ్ళ మొహాలకేసి చూస్తూ అనుకున్నాను. "మీరంతా నిర్విచారంగా, నిర్భయంగా కూచుని ఉన్నారు. ఎంత త్రుప్తి, సంతోషమో మీ మొహాల్లో. ఈ చీకట్లో ఇంత వేగంగా పరిగెత్తే ఈ యంత్రం మీద మీకంత విశ్వాసం, మిమ్మల్ని సురక్షితంగా ఇల్లు చేరుస్తుందని. అట్లానే మీ జీవితాల మీద గూడా అట్లాంటి విశ్వాసం ఉండివుంటుంది. తెలిసో, తెలీకో ఈశ్వరుదు, మిమ్మల్ని ప్రేమించే ఈశ్వరుడు సురక్షితంగా తీసుకుపోతున్నాడని.నిజంగా చెప్పండి, ఉన్నాడా? మీకు తెలుసునా? నా సందేహాలు మీకు లేవా? ఈ నిర్భాగ్యుడికి మీరు ఏ విధమైన త్రుప్తినివ్వలేరా? ఆ మధ్యాహ్నం మాకు సాయపడ్డ క్రిస్టియన్ ఆయన జ్ఞాపకం వచ్చాడు. మేము ఎటువంటి వాళ్ళమో తెలిసి కూడ "God bless you" అన్నాడు. నిజంగా ఒక God blessచేస్తాడా?
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అక్కడ students, teachers అందరూ క్రిస్టియన్లు, తను తప్ప. కానీ తనను వేరుగా చూడలేదు. క్రిస్టియన్ మతం లో చేరమని తనని అడగలేదు. అందరూ ఎంత మంచివాళ్ళో.

You are an uncut Diamond and an unpolished Pearl

As I was riding my bike back home I lost in thoughts like I usually do. I thought about my clothing label and some of those people who walk in the store and really bargain. I thought of few customers who compare khadi with some mill-made cotton and say why is it so expensive? Now, who would tell them that you can never compare something made by hand with something made by machine? sigh! you are in the wrong place dude! I told myself. "If only you are in the right area where customers would know the value of ur product and respect you for your creativity"..I said to myself. in short I told myself "if only you get ur true value"! Suddenly I remembered this parable of Jesus that goes like this-

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Mathew 13: 45.Jesus is talking about you and me here. we are the precious pearl and He is the merchant. You & I are like precious stones or pearls of great value whose worth is not recognized by the world. So we were carelessly kept, thrown around, trampled and abused till one day the One who knows our true value saw us. & When He saw us He got so excited that He ran back home sold off everything He got and paid a heavy price for us to the utter shock of all those who has been treating us carelessly. The world always tries to underrate us.The world tries to limit us. It shows our weaknesses and flaws and say we are not worthy. But what does God say about us?

Imagine yourself being auctioned. You are standing there and around you are many people who are trying to put a price tag on you. Some one would say I would really love to pay a little more for Joshua for I know he is able, but look his other side- he is lazy! Some one else would walk upto me and say I don't mind shelling few more pennies had you been little more organized. One more would walk upto me and say "had you not have that habit of lying, I would have valued you little more. You are standing there with your head down humiliated,thinking "hope some one recognize me with all my worth..". Then came a very rich looking man in expensive robes . He looked at you, studied you carefully and said "Wow"! How much? The one who is auctioning you asked Him..how much are you willing to pay? "The other person replied "I know he is a man of great value. He is made in the image of God.in him lies a great potential. In exchange of him I'll pay everything I got. My position, My glory, My honour. yes I would give away everything to redeem him. But wait.Wait. Wait! even that won't be enough. look at him,beautiful! for him, I'll pay the greatest price anyone ever can pay or paid. I give my life away as a price for him.Yes. That's what I'm going pay for him. with My life" wouldn't that be awesome? Isn't that exciting?

Jesus actually did that for us. the bible says "You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.(1 Corinth 7:23). You are bought at a price. A heavy price, it's His life.It's His glory. When Jesus was talking about the parable of sower, He said "... And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.Like 8:8".In every seed that was sown, was a potential to yield hundred folds.But then they didn't. They were stolen, they were suppressed, they were scorched and killed. God made us with a great potential. And He loves to see us rise to our full potential. But who stops us? The Enemy. He loves to see us fallen, weak, guilty and compromised.While It's God who encourages us, equips us and strengthens us..It's the enemy who discourages us, tempts us and leaves us resigned to fate.

It's a very common scene in my city to find people who are heavily drunk lying on the footpaths. There is activity around him, people are moving around with a purpose but he is lying down there unconscious beside a drainage or a waste dump as if that's where he belong. What do you feel when you see some one like that? definitely not respect. I'm sure even he doesn't respect himself. Who enjoys seeing him like that? the Enemy does. Jesus says at John 10:10 that "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy". But who feels miserable looking at him like that? Your maker, your father i.e. God. He says "But I have come that they may have life and life abundantly". God smiles every time you try to rise up from that rut. He does everything He can to help you rise up on your feet again to get back to life with dignity and purpose. With God on our side, it's never too late.With God on your side, there is always hope.

It's time we look at ourselves the way Jesus saw us from the cross. Worthy! Worthy to give away His very life in exchange. It's time we remember who we are in Him. It's time we look unto Him and run the race. With endurance. With an expectation. To receive the crown one day. to receive that pat from Him and those words that would echo in eternity "Well done my Boy!

Hey God.. good Job buddy!

God wants you to appreciate beauty..He just doesn't want you get lusty. Says pastor Chaitanya. When was the last time you complimented some one? especially a girl and she didn't look at you with a doubt in her eyes trying read your intentions? I remember how many time I was in trouble for complimenting some one(girls)'s eyes or hair or clothes and they would look at me like "so you are observing me aah. what else?"
Why it's not the case with Americans or Europeans? "it's sunny day"! they say& before you realize you are already in conversation with them. But why we Indians so closed when it comes to converations& appreciation?

In NIFT, the college I went to, we had a subject called "art appreciation" for a semister in which all we got to do is visit as many art exhibitions as possible &... just appreciate art. start feeling it, pondering on it, comment on it. Be sensitive to it. As you keep doing it, you develop taste for it& start seeing beauty in everything which is around you. you find beauty in unexpected places!
As christians..is this what we need to do start feeling the beauty of God? why we are not expressive? why don't we voice out? why are we conscious of the people around us more than God who is in the midst of us? I think if we start appreciating the beauty around us..we will learn to appreciate the creator of beauty too. Let's be creative in worshipping God. let's develop imagination, appriciation& expression to enjoy the worship at it's best.

the Almighty God who wants to breast feed you.

what do yo think about our God? Male or female? I got this doubt coz just now I read a telugu blog that was talking about women's importance in Hinduism. it says that hinduism is the only religion in which "woman" is given a great importance by being worshipped as "jaganmaata""(mother of the universe) where as in other religions like christianity woman is not given right due.is it true? is christianity some kind of male dominant religion(I'm not talking about RCM church here where mother mary is worshipped) where woman is supposed to cover her hair& shut her mouth & do nothing other than shedding tears in prayers? I heard some pastors bragging "our god is not an impotent God, he is omnipotent!". Jesus was a man. so the moment we think about God, either Yahweh or Jesus, we see a male. is there more to a woman in Bi...ble?you know one of the names of our God in hebrew is "El- shaddai". most english version render "El- shaddai" as God almighty. but "shadaim" in hebrew means breasts. then El- shaddai would mean "God with breasts". (shocked?) God of sufficiency and nourishment. Is there any food in this world which can be compared with mother's milk when it comes to nourishment? God is promising us the complete sufficiency.

a new born baby immediately recognises her mother. I could never be to viri what her mother was. only she can put her to sleep. she would sleep only on her shoulder. only her mother could comfort her from crying. what's the difference? the breast feeding. Viri understood that there is no greater love than her Mother's. God, loves us somuch. that He would comfort you, feed you like a mother. He want's to breast feed you. (wow! I just love this Idea). He is not only a All powrfull, almighty God. He's also a loving mother to you. just hug him tight today.(my opinions are open for debate or correction)

U r called to be a lion chaser!

‎"chasing the lion on a snowy day& finishing it in a pit". sound very heroic isn't it?

( 2 samuel 23:20. king David's mighty Bodygaurds)

or "going against a mightily armed gaint with only a sling in ur hand in a vally"?
( I samuel 17:45)

whe Benaiah was chasing the lion what were the people saying? Or when little David was walking towards the Big Goliath in that vally...

was he cheered or jeered?

they must have shouted "fool, don't do that to urself!"

I believe every fool might not be a Benaiah or David but Benaiah & David definitely were fools who tried to do the Impossible(?)!

The safest palce in a war is the spectator's seat. So u want to play safe, sit tight in us spectator's seat with your seatbelt on, like those Israelites who were watching little David walking towards the gaint Goliath. '

But don't shout "come here& sit beside me", they won't pay attention.coz just like you are not born to be in the battle feild, they are not born to be in the spectator's seat.

The Biblesays:

"having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power" 2 timothy 3:5

..భక్తి గలవారివలె ఉండి దాని శక్తిని ఆశ్రయించని వారు... 2 thimothy 3:5

So next time you see a fool chasing a lion, it's ok if u can't cheer him, but atleast don't jeer.

if people like Steve Jobs, uncircumsized (spiritually), can make such a valiant Lion chasers, how much more we, sons of the LIVING GOD?

what does Bible say about these rich fools...

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain[a] we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 timothy 6:6


సంతుష్థి సహితమైన దైవభక్తి గొప్ప లాభ సాధనమై యున్నది. మనమెలోకములోకి ఏమియూ తేలేదు, దీనిలోనుండి ఏమియూ తీసుకుని పోలేము. కాగా అన్నవస్త్రములు గలవారమై యుండి వాటితో త్రుప్తి పొందియుందము. ధనవంతులగుటకు ఆపేక్షించువారు శోధనలోను, ఉరిలోను, అవివేకయుక్తములును హానికరములైన అనేక దురాశల్లోను పడుదురు. అట్తివి మనుష్యులను నష్తములోను నాశనములోను ముంచివేయును.ఎందుకనగా ధనాపేక్ష సమస్తమైన కీడులకు మూలము.కొందరు దానిని ఆశించి విశ్వాసము నుండి తొలిగిపోయి నానా బాధలతో తమను తామే పొడుచుకొనిరి. 1తిమోతి 6:6