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“Jesus wept” (John 11:35). But why? He knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead moments later. He knew Lazarus would come back to his beloved family and friends. So why would Jesus be so troubled and deeply moved in his spirit that he openly wept? It was because he saw everyone else weeping (John 11:33). He had so much empathy with everyone there that he wept too.

Empathy is the ability to understand and share another’s emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It differs from sympathy, which is more our feeling pity or concern for someone’s suffering. Sympathy psychologically distances us from the hurting person; we are emotionally elevated above the person’s pain, and we tend to offer judgment or fixes. Empathy, however, fosters connection with the one hurting; we share in the pain, we “mourn with those who mourn” (Rom. 12:15). Psychologists suggest that in helping people who are struggling. Can we truly love our neighbor as ourselves if we do not have some level of empathy?

In debates about recent actions on undocumented immigrants and refugees in the U.S., some people seem to lack empathy for their plight. Most illegal immigrants are not violent criminals; their reasons for being undocumented are varied, complex, and often desperate. And refugees are normally vetted before entry.

I am thankful that the CRCNA’s Office of General Secretary issued a , recalling previous synodical statements. Our denomination’s includes a call to give “mindful attention to the plight of both documented and undocumented workers and people without status, reaching out in love to those who seek help for themselves and for their children in terms of financial assistance, food, clothing, and shelter.” It also calls for “advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform that seeks the well-being and flourishing of people without legal status and provides increased opportunities for immigrants to gain legal status,” and “advocacy for just and dignified treatment of persons arrested and incarcerated because of their lack of status, and for humane treatment of such persons facing long-term imprisonment.”

I am thankful for many Christian organizations calling for compassion. The issue is more complex than just “legal vs. illegal.”

I am an immigrant to Canada, and, along with most Canadians, I was deeply disturbed by President Donald Trump’s rhetoric of annexation and threats of exorbitant tariffs. This was headline news in Canada for weeks. Canadians took this seriously as an economic attack. Canada felt like its long-time friend and ally had become an aggressor and could no longer be trusted.

Whether this is a real threat or merely bluster, for the sake of our tenuous binationality, this is a time for American CRC members to empathize with Canadian members. Thankfully, many Americans do show support and understanding for Canadians. But this is not the time to make tone-deaf jokes about Canada becoming the 51st U.S. state, as one pastor unfortunately did in the Christian Reformed pastors Facebook group. Such insensitivity can further emotionally distance Canadians in the CRC.

In return, Canadians should show empathy for Americans’ fear and anguish over the fentanyl crisis. Regardless of how much or little fentanyl has moved across the Canadian/U.S. border, Canadians can empathize with the pain of many Americans who have lost loved ones over the drug crisis. And we should never equate the actions of a country’s political leaders, whether in the USA or Canada, with its regular citizens.

Let us continue to follow Jesus’ example and have empathy for those who are hurting.

Editor’s note: See also the CRCNA leadership's .