Empathy Ain’t Enough

 

October 31, 2023

Warning: This blog post isn't for everyone.
 

Empathy is a start, but it ain’t enough. Being an ally is a start, but if you stay there, just own your willingness to bow out of the situation. I am looking for partnerships. Someone to fight with me and make my struggle their struggle. I'm not seeking people who have good intentions but are doing more harm than good. In other words, jellyfish syndrome is not welcomed here! Your version of caring and my version of caring are different. Everyone ain’t courageous enough and that’s OK. But if you claim to be here for the work, please know what that means. You got my back…I can trust you and you trust me. You are not afraid to be inconvenienced for something greater than yourself and the social media likes. That ain't everyone…and that's OK. I am not interested in an unconscious diversity checklist. I am looking for others who are willing to bring a reckoning to the status quo…is that you?!

Empathy is NOT teamwork. I'm looking teammates! 

You saying you know Jesus ain’t enough. The Jesus I know is here for everyone who is willing to follow Him. He's here to meet you where you are to get you where you need to be. He wants to offer grace and expects accountability. Shaming and hatred are not His tactics. So, I’m over the ones who say only God can judge but wanna judge everyone without being judged. That ain't empathy…that's elitism. Miss me with that!

I’m looking for people who can distinguish guilt from empathy. They ain’t the same. Guilt is often a temporary mindset. When the guilt fades, will you fade away too? When the cameras turn away, will you turn away too? All these schools throughout the USA are asking their local community to invest…will you stop at empathy, or will you show up because empathy ain't action?

Voting for status quo without solutions hurts all

Will you vote 🗳? Will you vote to invest, or will you push away your burdens and responsibilities? If you vote no, what's your plan of action to fill the need? Are you limited to wishful thinking and comments? Will comments like "that's too bad'' serve as your means of contributing?! Will you continue to rely on misinformation because you refuse to educate yourself on the facts? There's a proverb that states "talking doesn't cook rice." Your empathy doesn't increase funding…. your empathy doesn't stop the roofs of school buildings from leaking when it rains… it doesn't close the digital divide or keep teachers in schools. So, what's your next step after empathy because empathy by itself doesn’t create solutions?

Let's be clear, this is not a shame session… any shame felt by this blog post has an internal source and does not have origins externally from my words that you have read. But don't stop reading this! Stopping is easy…it's the cop out…Be brave and keep pushing. Whether you act or not, the need for change is here. The time is now!

When empathy is no longer enough for you, I'll be here ready to work side by side with you. My hope is this will be sooner than later. “The work is large supply, but the workers are few.”

Be well and empower!

-Elgrie J.