Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, Matthew 24:12
Tough heartedness is trending, tenderheartedness is on the decline: Studies tell us that there are four times as many CEOs who score as high as psychopaths, in comparison to the general population. Jon Ronson wrote a book exploring the idea that what makes CEOs psychopaths also makes them good CEO material. I hear politicians speaking in a flat passionless tone about human suffering and I sometimes wonder if the robots are taking over. A female attorney who claims to be a sociopath has written a book about her own lack of conscience regarding the expectations and feelings of others. While she does seem to regret the many broken relationships her lack of emotion has caused, the message is clear; hard heartedness has become an asset, tenderheartedness a liability.
Jesus foretold these conditions and even diagnosed the cause, the increase of wickedness. Hey, how much trauma can the human heart endure before it shuts down? How much guilt can the psyche carry for sins committed before giving a flip becomes just too much of a burden.
Well, being the contrarian that I am. I am calling for a revival of empathy. I want to populate the earth with people who get misty eyed at the sight of the American flag and the Star Spangled Banner, have trouble holding it together when singing “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” and agonize over having to give another human bad news. I’ll cut to the chase and give you 6 reasons you should ask your creator for the gift of tenderheartedness.
1. Tenderheartedness is a sign of intelligence.
What do you mutter under your breath, or not so “under” your breath when someone with obvious intention cuts you off in traffic? “Stupid Idiot!” You inwardly know that unthoughtful and uncaring actions come from smaller brains and lower life forms.
2. Tenderheartedness is a sign of experience and maturity
Often it’s the young pastor that takes over a church ran by the 50+ demographic who thinks they can rip the hymn books out of their hands, disconnect the pipe organ and change the pulpit dress code the first month on the job. Even where change is desperately needed we equate diplomacy with maturity, as we well should.
3. Tenderheartedness is a sign of optimism
Hopelessness and cold heartedness are twins. In case you haven’t looked up from your hand held device or magazine lately to hear one of those pre-flight prep speeches, they tell us to make sure and put the oxygen mask on our own face before helping others. Do they really need to tell us that? Desperation and self absorption just go together like a hand in a glove. It’s the coach who believes his or her team can win the championship that stands before the team and preaches, “everybody matters, take care of your teammates!” On a team that’s out of contention everybody is just playing for their job.
4. Tenderheartedness is a sign of power
It’s because Aslan of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” is a lion that his being a tender redeemer has meaning. I realize this point is the most difficult to defend and I don’t have time and space to do it, but those sociopathic bankers who used their position to bring our economy to its knees were lacking the power to save. They are moral midgets, not societal giants.
5. Tenderheartedness is the ethical basis for righteous judgment & loving discipline.
It is a common perception that people who can’t take a position, hold others accountable, and be the instruments of discipline have too much empathy. Actually,righteous judgment flows out of something that is breaking your heart. Loving discipline is always a matter of saving someone from injustice. An inability to draw a line in the sand doesn’t come from too much love for others but too little. This is complex, but it’s worth the mental effort to try and figure it out.
6. Tenderheartedness is the emotional manifestation of God’s love.
Scripture says that God is “touched with the feelings of our infirmities.” When Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend Lazarus, people watching said, “behold how he loved him.” I love the Message Bible’s paraphrase of Psalms 103:13. “As parents feel for their children, GOD feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.”
To know God should be our greatest desire and I don’t really know him till I try to act like him, then and only then do I realize the extraordinary strength that tenderheartedness requires. Only then can I, with understanding look up and say with real admiration, “God, you are really good!”
