Defining Love: Do You Still Love Southwest Baptist University?

A Letter to Friends from Marie O'Hara

Dear Friends:

A friend asked has asked me (rather forcibly):

Do you still love SBU [Southwest Baptist University]? How can you possibly love them after all that they have done (and are doing) to you?!

I didn't have the opportunity to answer then, but I would like to do so now by relating an incident that occurred this afternoon.

While I was praying, a curious thought crossed my mind: Must love, in the hearts and hands of Christians, be so pathetic?

"Pathetic?" I thought to myself. "Unfortunately, that's probably disturbingly true."

But as the question resurfaced several times, I was drawn to investigate the meaning of this word "pathetic" at Dictionary.com Unabridged :

PATHETIC -- adjective (reference here)

[Origin: 1590–1600; <>pathéticus <>pathétikós sensitive equiv. to pathét(ós) made or liable to suffer (verbid of páschein to suffer + -ikos]

1. causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable: a pathetic letter; a pathetic sight.

2. affecting or moving the feelings.

3. pertaining to or caused by the feelings.

4. miserably or contemptibly inadequate: In return for our investment we get a pathetic three percent interest.

"Aha, a Greek-rooted word, " I thought. "My favorite!"

As I reviewed each of these four meaning in turn, I realized how aptly these definitions fit most demonstrations of "Christian love" that I have seen within the Christian community.

Such love, sadly is based solely on emotion -- or as the Greek word root indicates sensitivity (Gk pathétikós - sensitive).

Browsing through the associated words, I came across a reference to a another Greek-based word: EMPATHY.

A related word in meaning, yes, but not from the same word root.

I clicked over to the definition of EMPATHY:

EMPATHY - noun (reference here)

[Origin: 1900-05; from Gk empatheia affection, equiv. to em- em-2 + path- (base of paschein to suffer) + -eia -ia; present meaning translates G Einfuhlung]

1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.

2. the imaginative ascribing to an object, as a natural object or work of art, feelings or attitudes present in oneself: By means of empathy, a great painting becomes a mirror of the self.

Yes, not the same root at all. EMPATHY is formed from the word root for affection (Gk empátheia), not merely emotion or sensitivity, but affinity, affection and intellectual identification.

A brief mention at the end of the EMPATHY entry advised that I look into another Greek-rooted word:

-- Synonyms 1. See SYMPATHY.

And so, I did:

SYMPATHY -- noun (reference here)

[Origin: 1500-70; from L sympathia from Gk sympatheia, equiv. to sympathe-, s. of sympaths sympathethetic (sym- sym- + path(os) suffering, sensation + -es adj. suffix) + -ia -y3]

1. harmony of or agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another.

2. the harmony of feeling naturally existing between persons of like tastes or opinion or of congenial dispositions.

3. the fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, esp. in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion, or commiseration.

4. sympathies,
a. feelings or impulses of compassion.
b. feelings of favor, support, or loyalty: It's hard to tell where your sympathies lie.

5. favorable or approving accord; favor or approval: He viewed the plan with sympathy and publicly backed it.

6. agreement, consonance, or accord.

7. Psychology. a relationship between persons in which the condition of one induces a parallel or reciprocal condition in another.

8. Physiology. the relation between parts or organs whereby a condition or disorder of one part induces some effect in another.

Ah, and, here we have something altogether different: a love built on SHARED SUFFERING (sym- (same) + páth(os) suffering, sensation).

Do I still love Southwest Baptist University?

Yes, I do.

My love is not derived only from emotion, affection or intellectual identification, but from compassionate sym-pathy.

I suffer with them.

The psychological and physiological definitions of SYMPATHY are particularly instructive and poignant:

7. Psychology. a relationship between persons in which the condition of one induces a parallel or reciprocal condition in another.

8. Physiology. the relation between parts or organs whereby a condition or disorder of one part induces some effect in another.

Southwest Baptist University's sufferings, pains, failings, and misery have been, are and will be -- in a very real sense -- mine.

I am bound to suffer with them, literally and figuratively, whether I choose to or not, which is why the actions that I must undertake over the next month are all the more arduous and grievous.

Those who claim that I act out of vindictiveness, enmity, or anger, judge me falsely and slander me.

I struggle, as I always have, to love them to the best of my imperfect ability as the Lord has commanded us all: I do strive to love them ... as I love myself.

Misgivings over "Truth in Love": Misplaced Trust in Southwest Baptist University, the Missouri Baptist Convention and First Baptist Church of Bolivar

This Sunday morning (June 29), Marie listened to Pastor Billy Russell's sermon to the First Baptist Church of Bolivar on "Speaking the Truth in Love" ... and she now has some profound misgivings about his ability to handle this situation maturely.

As Marie writes:

Perhaps I have misunderstood his inherent meaning, but it appears that Billy Russell wants to define Truth in terms of the "facts" -- that is, what did or did not happen, what was or was not said or done ... and the blame and punishment that is to be placed as a result of that reality.

If Mr. Russell knew all the facts of what has happened here, I am certain that he would not want those facts recited before the known world -- both for the sake of particular institutions and for the sake of the friends whom he loves, both living and dead.

As for me, I believe that Truth (with a capital T) exists as a reality which, while encompassing the facts, is, nonetheless, beyond the facts and beyond the petty and mundane scrabble of life.

Defining Truth, as I do, as not only the terrestrial facts, but also as the personification and embodiment of the Living Word of Christ Jesus, opens up whole new heavenly worlds of possibilities and fresh vistas of opportunities.

For many years, I have sought to speak Truth in Love to these individuals and entities, while withholding vast troves of unspoken facts and realities ... for the purpose of protecting others.

They (including many of the others I strove to protect), however, seem only to have earthly ears and eyes for "truth" as they perceive it: "truth" that will best suit them and their agenda and objectives, that will make them look or feel good, that will ease their consciences, minds, hearts, or pocketbooks ... and that will obfuscate or conceal the facts.

If this is their deepest perception of Truth (and, incidentally, of Love), is there really any possibility of communication?

Or, have I misunderstood their meaning or intent?

Perhaps the best I can do is present the facts publicly and pray that other students, at least, will be protected and warned away from making my mistake, from wasting their lives (as I have apparently done) by vainly hoping that someone at Southwest Baptist University, the Missouri Baptist Convention or its affiliate institutions would learn of Truth ... or of Love ... or of God.

Maybe there is no Justice and no hope of Justice at Southwest Baptist University because God is no longer there.

Or, if He does still dwell in some abysmal corner, He will never be permitted to embody Himself through Truth ... or through Love ... or through Justice.

Rescheduling: New PRIVATE BLOG for First Baptist of Bolivar

PLEASE NOTE:
Due to the vacation/mission trip absences of Pastor Billy Russell and several other key individuals, the launch of our NEW PRIVATE BLOG designed to allow more complete communication with the pastors, deacons and church leaders of First Baptist Church of Bolivar has been rescheduled until at least July. ...

Please see post: Summer Re-dreaming and Revisioning for further updates.

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