Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-10
CJJLTIVATING THE GRACE OF
SYMPATHY.
Rom, 1915; III Cor, LEV
John. 2015.
By Robert D. Burbank,

President ofVashinston District Ep~'r'n league
svmnathy is the tombstone of Chris
tianity. In it's true meaning sympathy
is the attitude of every true CHRISTIAN
toward each and every person Win
whom he comes in contact.
rh;s word is very often misused IN
tho sense of pity. but that 1t mas no
such meaning may be easily seen from
sr;,..tion The Greek word which
has been anglicized into this term Is
composed of the two words pathos' :"
fee,;np and syn" with, ana the rao'-
oal and literal meaning OF the tefih'
,.ofora is "a feeling with. rms IS
:. contrast with the term pity. which
y. described as "a feeling Tor
,rno difference is vital, for pity Is the
merely passive feeling "hich any one
NAV have for another less fortunate
,h.r himself. and may be patrontZlii;s =
e ~" "a, contemptuous: but sympaln! ~
OF eNEn trat makes you put yourself
- nc nlace" feel with nm not 10.
n ~ ne ma is such an active feenns ma
il impels you to 40 so'
if Won can. .,rora those He
thr'se Mart with, and toward every
, 80 Who comes within feaci VI
amence is one of sympath!. cnd's
sion on earth was to demons ssars a. ali tbs
,an suffers. that we Hiisht
- mat He understands an i,I
our difficulties ana sHHipI Lie eTamnIe
W ,rben He showed US by T!S I'm
US Innings how to sympathlHe VIII
anu ,a The development OF 'hris-
! otI.ei s,..'ac,er in the Individual may ne
',iais,red by the degree OF syhp"'"s ~
shows. o. Of course origina te
~ t.hrjst because it is one OF Io ~ >
49,, truths that has been from ,il
,a1,;nning: but Christ was the II. ~,
great exponent of the adea ol t;on
End that idea is the very Ioui'u IrmJ1
az, which Christianity is baseo. ~
upo atbv was known from the pegIn-
| 80 hui under what narrow conn .s
until Christ came: Inc hlo'n., the
nathized with her child, ana eyer, .n.
friand with friend; but not until IN re Is,
iiien" ,id the world ever hear one saN
o "a o,sa your enemies: do good to them
| that hate you - =, o,.racterfsti,
of Christianity. 1t is not go, tbs
growth of sympathy in the near .,
! the human race has been colnciueh
and practically coextenslNe win the
growth of christianity, ne re- VINO nr WA ia,
6rmities," who vas susceptible to all
those tender needs of mems sous
Jesus the Lord. is really the Planter o.
the seed in the worlds heart. iher'
is not a single throb of a wording
heart that does not thrill at once VIII
the speed of electricity up to th'
mighty heart of Christ. A tear mas no
been shed nor sigh heaved. that ha'
not found its echo in His soul. Not only
did He suffer for us, but He suffers
with us. now and always. He Is The
personification of sympathy
As our topic indicates. sympathy Il
a grace to be cultivated. Though tn
seed is planted in Inc heart. yet i
win not grow spontaneously. but re
quires careful and conscious euitivs
ton Sturgeon said: sympathy is es-
pccialIy a Christians duty" evidently
meaning the cultivation of sympathy
How. then, are we to cultivate this
! grace?
First. we must pillow deeply into th'
soil of the soul. Shallow cultivation
viii produce neither fruit nor flowers
sympathy must he deep-rooted ant
| permanent in it's life: il must reach Il
the bottom Of the heart. Rejoice will
them that do rejoice, and weep will
them that Weep" wrote Paul to thu