During a recent every so often phone cleanup, I uninstalled the Empathy app. For those unfamiliar, their website says, “Empathy partners with leading financial institutions and employers to ease logistical and emotional burdens when it matters most.” In my words, it’s a freebie grief task app provided by life insurance companies which has some useful tools for stuff I pretty much figured out on my own. The account on the app stays active for six months beyond initial install and activation.
That ought to be a no brainer, right? I’m way past six months. No use for the app any longer. Yet I hesitated to remove it. Moving forward requires letting go of these little things, too.
Also, who uninstalls empathy? Good question. I’m beginning to wonder if humanity has taken this step. And I’m not referring to an app. What happened to empathy? Did we uninstall it? Or is it simply glitching?
Can we look beyond ourselves? Can we step back from rash judgments and see the bigger picture? Do we consider how our words and actions impact others? Or have hearts hardened so much that empathy has left the building? How do we engage with other humans whose beliefs and opinions differ from our own? Are we striving for love and understanding? Can we set aside our need to be right and win arguments?
I have no answers. I uninstalled the app. I pray that I can retain empathy in my being, even if the world comes completely undone.
See the good. Be the good. Love your neighbors. Every single one of them.