Thanks for attending the event. It was such a joy to see folks and their interest in the subject. Thanks for also sharing your area of concern.

My apologies for getting back to you so tardily. I have been on the road.

Now then, your concern. It is a valid one. Let me, however, adjust
what you said and clarify what I said.

1. Definitionally, empathy means: To be aware of and understand how
others feel. In essence to put yourself in someone’shoe.

2. David secretly understood that he committed an incredible sin. When approached by Nathan, he was not aware of whom Nathan was talking about.
He was just aware that Nathan mentioned that an injustice was done to someone to whom David (at the time) did not know was Uriah.

3. In his response, in verses 5 & 6 of 2nd Samuel 12, “David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserve to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, becuase he did such such a thing and had no pity”.

4. Utilizing the defintion only, not formulating any judgment against David, he was showing empathy. In that he was assuming that this person
who who took the sheep from the poor was not him. He was being
empathetic to that poor person. Definitionally he was demonstrating empathy, but not to Uriah, he was showing empathy to the poor person in the story.

5. Sadly though, it turned out that the poor person was Uriah. At that
time, it turned from empathy to shame because he has been found out.

The fact that David showed empathy is non-judmental from a definitional perspective. He didn’t care about Uriah. He killed this wonderful soldier and loving husband. He did have a heart though of being empathetic, but the story demonstrates how sin can warp us and affect us even though our intentions are good, our behavior shows otherwise.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if this clears it up.

Hello (Name Withheld),

Thank you for your email. It was forwarded from XYZ Church to me.
There are many items that I would like to address based on your email.

1) Please be mindful that the Center for Emotional and Spiritual
Development is a separate 501 (C) 3 organization that has its own separate
board, which is different from that of XYZ Church . The Center has
partnered with XYZ Church to deliver this seminar, not only to the
XYZ Church family, but to others in the body of Christ within the
region and across the country. I want to stress that although held on
the premises of XYZ Church, it was not a XYZ Church event. It was a
Center For Emotional and Spiritual Development event.

2) You made the point that we should focus on God alone and
acknowledge prevailing peace. In my humble opinion, it is difficult to
sit back, close my eyes and affirm prevailing peace when there are many in
our midst who are hurting, suffering, in pain, torment, being sorely
afflicted, needing help and not enjoying that peace, while what we need to
help others enjoy that peace is in our hands.

3) Jesus, when he was on the earth, could have said “let me focus on
prevailing peace, and not heal the sick, not deliver people from evil
spirit and not seek to get people liberated.” He did not. His mission
statement was Isaiah 61:1-3 and he executed, although soundly maligned by
the religious elites, who were incapable of helping those in dire need and
settled for criticism and trying to put an end to Jesus’ ministry.

4) In 1 Peter 5:7-9 the scripture states, 7Cast all your anxiety on
him because he cares for you. 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your
brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

5) We are clearly being alerted to not just focus on Christ, but be
alert because the enemy (the bible states) is seeking and taking advantage
of people. For me to accept the notion that I should ignore hurt and
focus on peace is not biblical. I need to have a fuller perspective.
Further, I believe that at times, the very enemy of my soul would love me
to focus on the goodness of God and not focus on the myriad of
catastrophes that he causing in people’s life

6) That said, I cannot agree nor do I accept your notion. I agree
that balance needs to be maintained and would, therefore, adjust your
statement to say “Focus on God, but be vigilant and mindful of the intent
and the work of the enemy of your soul.” It is for this reason that The
Center for Emotional and Spiritual Development was founded—to help people
be aware and to take their rightful place as overcomers in the faith.

I appreciate your thought process and would welcome dialoging with you on
my blog. It is at http://emotionalspiritualcenter.org/blog/. I look
forward to talking to you there. Be blessed.

Recent Inquirey: What is this enemy stuff and supernatural forces about?

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. God is omnipresent and
His presence there is fullness of Grace. Why do Christ followers always
talk about the enemy ? One can only see this if it is channeled through one.

So why not focus on God alone and acknowledge prevailing peace.