On the Empathy of God

Catholic doctrine can empirically establish the doctrine of original sin. Every day news reports on humanity’s inclination to evil. However, that same empirical evidence also necessarily lends reason to every atheist’s most powerful argument: How can anyone believe in God amid such relentless human suffering? If God is all-loving, why do the children He loves still suffer in Ukraine? And if He’s all-powerful, why doesn’t He end the suffering of all children? Finally, if He’s all-knowing, He can’t claim ignorance of the suffering His alleged love and proposed power should be solving. Theodicy or the problem of evil in a world created and maintained by a good God seems good reason to remain a permanent atheist or at least reasonably present a perpetual problem to the Christian. I propose as one response the following Franciscan musings upon the empathy of God.

The etymology of “empathy” denotes an entering into the suffering of another. God in Christ became God with us precisely by voluntarily entering into the suffering we endure involuntarily. And the Body of Christ in the world continues this saving mission by living the empathy of God.

Our Catholic Church proposes at least three ways to live the empathy of God, and our faithful acceptance of those responses is essential to the proper formation of our conscience. Three Church responses to suffering are: (1) Eliminate human suffering; (2) Alleviate human suffering; or (3) Imitate the suffering of Christ.

Eliminate

The doctrine of original sin states that evil and suffering entered the world through humanity and not through divinity. Consequently, we believe that while God permits evil, God never causes nor desires evil. Thus, those who obey God share God’s desire to eliminate suffering. God’s desire to eliminate human suffering is the basis for the social teaching of our Church. Unless we are cafeteria Catholics, we cannot pass up the Church’s desire to eliminate hunger, war, racism, oppression, and every offense against human dignity. Perhaps the greatest sin against the Church’s social teaching is our tendency to dismiss it as some dreamy, Disneyland doctrine. Who can expect to eliminate suffering? Well, we virtually eliminated polio, a disease our parents and grandparents thought would never succumb. The elimination of many diseases that once panicked whole populations was accomplished precisely through the principles of social teaching repeated by St. John Paul II: subsidiarity, solidarity, and human dignity. When governments and businesses invest more in human dignity than immorality, promote human solidarity rather than tribal disparity, and allow for free decisions by those free citizens most immediately affected by such decisions, then we promote the common good rather than common grief. Thus, if terms such as “subsidiarity,” “solidarity,” and “common good” are unfamiliar, to study them as we study the foundational principles of other doctrines is essential to properly forming our conscience. Don’t be a cafeteria Catholic. All Church doctrine is important, and whoever dismisses rather than defends our social teachings, aids the atheist’s favorite attack on the very existence of God. The first way the Church lives the empathy of God is through eliminating human suffering.

Alleviate

Eliminating suffering is, however, an admittedly rare victory even if a necessary daily battle. This is why at the same time as we strive to eliminate suffering, we always also attempt to ease or alleviate suffering in the short term. We relieve or alleviate suffering when we practice the Church’s corporal works of mercy. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick or imprisoned, and bury the dead. These are moral obligations whenever we have the opportunity and the resources to act on them. Although each must make prudential decisions based upon one’s own unique circumstances, in general, when in doubt, be generous. Whenever we wonder how much to give, better to give more than we think we can afford. A little sacrifice such as buying store brands rather than name brands might stretch our budget to make that possible. Although Americans are renowned for our generosity, Catholic Americans should stand out even from among our compatriots. If we wish to become saints, let’s ask ourselves: Can we think of any saint who ignored the homeless, refused the beggar, and stored up for himself treasure on earth rather than storing up treasure in heaven by giving it to the least of his brothers? Saints live the empathy of God by alleviating human suffering.

Imitate

We cooperate even with non-Christians to eliminate suffering, and as Catholics we attempt to lessen or alleviate suffering as well. But we also suffer ourselves. Some of us suffer the effects of broken homes or addicted loved ones. Others have suffered abuse and neglect, discrimination, or poverty. No human is free from the pain of unjust judgements, cruel gossip, and painful rejection.

Although no suffering is caused by God nor desired by God, and although we are always charged with struggling to first eliminate and, when that’s not possible, to alleviate such suffering, sometimes we can do no more than endure harm patiently, forgive wrongdoing willingly, and pray to unite our suffering to that of Christ. And that is how we practice the spiritual works of mercy. Thus, when we cannot eliminate suffering as God desires nor alleviate suffering as Christ commands, we can always imitate the suffering Christ who patiently bears all things and kindly endures all things. We fill up what is lacking in the suffering of Christ by helping to bear injustice and forgive enemies as did He. When we bear our cross, we are Simon of Cyrene helping Christ to bear His Cross for the salvation of the world. God does not desire anyone to suffer from insult or abuse, but rather to eliminate or at least alleviate such suffering. But when we cannot eliminate nor alleviate our own suffering, perhaps because it is a past trauma, we can imitate the suffering of Christ. And then our suffering becomes sacrifice like the sacrifice of Christ Whose suffering will one day dry every tear and heal every pain. Christian suffering that is involuntary (cannot be eliminated or alleviated) is not meaningless, but salvific, when united to the suffering of Him Who became God with us precisely by voluntarily entering the suffering we endure involuntarily, but freely endure for the sake of Christ. The Body of Christ in the world continues the saving mission of Christ by living the empathy of God.

Christians, like atheists, know that suffering is relentless, but unlike atheists, we also believe suffering is not senseless. Thus, faithful Catholics properly form their consciences by asking: How have I united in common cause to eliminate suffering? How have I practiced the virtues to alleviate suffering? And how do I unite my involuntary suffering with Christ Whose voluntary sacrifice saves as we freely imitate His suffering? We Catholics may never convince others in the argument of theodicy, but we can convert souls by living out God’s empathy.