Gospel Empathy

The Problem of Extreme Rhetoric

I have noticed something recently during my evening social media scrolling: we have wild swings in our cultural discourse. Whether it's the "MeToo" movement categorizing every white heterosexual male as a rapist or part of the problematic patriarchy, or the MAGA right believing every Democrat wants to kill them because of what one person stated on the campaign trail, the rhetoric is extreme.

Let me give you a case in point:

Brilyn Hollyhand, an emerging figure on the TPUSA scene, tweeted after the election on November 4, 2025: "51% of Virginians voted for a candidate who wanted to shoot Republican kids. They want us dead."

I am sure he was being hyperbolic. After all, it's likely that many Virginians were not deeply engaged in the political game like pundits and may have simply been uninformed. And I am sure that many in the "MeToo" movement also responded emotionally to a cultural moment, sometimes using exaggerated language.

The Danger of Lumping People Together

The point is this: we live in a highly charged environment that is rife with slippery slopes. When we use sweeping terms like they or all, we lump everyone into the same category, making it easy for those people to be marginalized—or worse, persecuted. In every cultural moment, there are shades of gray, a need for discourse, and a need for the operational fruit of the Spirit.

My Own Transformation

Before you think I am a "bleeding heart," I once was a firebrand. When it came to Islam, my approach was hostile. When it came to LGBTQ issues, I ignored or dehumanized. In every instance where the "other" appeared, I resisted, spoke harshly, and treated them with the utmost disdain.

What changed? Several years ago, I was in South Africa studying Apartheid policies of the former South African regime. Several African Americans and LGBTQ individuals were part of the program. During the lectures, deep hurt surfaced in their questions. Their raw emotion was easy to mock—and some did—but I wanted to know what was behind the pain.

The Power of Listening

So one evening, I approached this intimidating group and sat down among them simply to understand. I did not lecture. I listened. I asked about their backgrounds and stories. I wanted to know where they had encountered bigotry at home. I sought to understand before being understood.

That moment profoundly changed me. It did not alter my theological beliefs, but it transformed my approach to people with radically different views. By learning their names and stories, their hurt became personal rather than abstract. I learned (though I am far from perfect) to listen, ask questions, and express genuine empathy. We see this in the life of Jesus—He asked questions, expressed compassion, listened to people's needs, and rarely lumped people together, except for the self-righteous religious crowd.

The Call to Gospel Empathy

In the America of 2025, we must do better than lumping people together. We have millions of Americans with unique stories, backgrounds, motivations, and beliefs. If we want to win people to Christ, we must practice what Paul said:

"For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them... I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:19–23)

This is what I call Gospel empathy. Paul encourages us to do everything possible to understand the "other" so that we might win them with the Gospel. And in 2025 America, the church must lead in this arena. We must genuinely walk out the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. We do these things even though people may think that is a display of weakness. But, having Gospel empathy that's marked by the fruits of the Spirit is not weakness, its transformative, and it is the only thing we have to make a mark on our nation.