Anglican Bible study For OCTOBER 23, 2022, Study 43: TOPIC – Empathy
THEME: THE LORD GOD AND THE REIGN OF PEACE
SUB THEME: Evidence of godly rule – 4
TOPIC: Empathy
TEXTS: Dan. 6:14-27
MEMORY VERSE: Rom 12:15 “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep”.
AIMS:
i. to discuss empathy as an essential virtue for any God-chosen ruler
ii. to expatiate on the effect of empathy on both the ruler and the governed
INTRODUCTION
The best way is for a leader to show the governed his empathy with them in their moments of challenge. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It is the practical assumption of the position of the victim of challenge or suffering. King Darius expressed his love for Daniel in sharing a sleepless night with him and even as early as possible, had already come to the entrance of the lions’ den to ask after the welfare of Daniel. Jesus assumed the position of a close relative to Lazarus and shared in weeping with the family. Can we find rulers in our contemporary society that easily empathize with their citizens?
STUDY GUIDE
1. From the text today, define empathy and relate it with Rom 12:15.
2. “The peak of nobility for rulers is to empathize with the ruled/governed”. Discuss this in line with Dan 6:14, 18-20; John 11:35-36 and how can rulers assume the position of a suffering citizen especially in a country where leaders travel abroad for medical checks, where politicians send their children abroad for education, where rulers are indifferent to the plight of victims of insurgency
3. Discuss the effect of King Darius’ empathy in line with the attitude of Jesus and his disciples in Matt 14:14-16.
4. How empathic are our contemporary leaders towards the people they are leading? Mat. 7:12, Luke 6:35, Luke 10:25-37, Rom. 15:1
CONCLUSION
Until we have godly leaders and rulers who can tearfully feel the pains of losing a child or wife to insurgents; until we have such godly rulers who know how dilapidated our hospitals are; until we have such rulers who understand the impact of strikes through their children in academic institutions, and until we have rulers who know what it means to collapse in a pension office, until then, the suffering of the masses may continue. May God Almighty raise for us such empathic and godly rulers in Jesus’ name.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The peak of nobility for rulers is to empathize with the ruled.