Memory as the Basis of Empathy

A reminder we dearly need in our day and age.

Dear DJAN Friends,

Loving enemies and welcoming strangers are important themes in the New Testament. It is important for Christians to remember, however, that what Jesus has to say about neighbors and strangers is rooted in Hebrew scripture. To illustrate the point, consider the following verses from chapter 19 of Leviticus.

You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. . . . When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:17-18 and 33-34).

According to the gospel writers, when Jesus was asked "What is the greatest commandment?," he answered by combining Deuteronomy 6:5 ("you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might") with Leviticus 19:18 ("you shall love your neighbor as yourself"). While later generations have often regarded neighbor as a universal category (i.e., all people are neighbors), it is clear that neighbor here refers only to other Israelites. That's why I am glad the chapter also includes verses 33 and 34, which expand the circle. The Hebrew word ger, here translated “alien," also means stranger, an idea made personal by Jesus in Matthew 25 ("I was a stranger and you welcomed me"). The verses in Leviticus remind us that memory is often the basis of empathy. You know that strangers are easy prey for unjust treatment, says the author, because you, too, have been strangers.

May God grant us understanding and commitment.

—Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon