The power of empathy: How serving others can mend political rifts, on World Kindness Day and every day
The 2024 election is over. President-elect Donald Trump won not only the Electoral College, but also the popular vote. Republicans won the Senate and are close to winning the House, the trifecta of the federal government. In Utah, nearly 59% of voters chose Trump to lead the country, and Republicans in the Utah Legislature retain their supermajority status.
The election, though not close in the Electoral College, was very, very close in the popular vote, with Trump winning just a smidge under 50%. I agree with friend and colleague Jacob Hess that it’s a painful and scary moment for half of America. That really should matter to the other half.
Poll after poll has shown that Americans are concerned about the lack of civility in politics. Faith leaders across the country have encouraged an increase in civility and a toning down of the hateful rhetoric. In Utah, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have repeatedly encouraged a decrease in contention and an increase in civility and peace-building.
Today, on World Kindness Day, how do we begin to demonstrate empathy, kindness and understanding with someone who votes differently than us? Who might feel scared at what the next four years might mean to them and their loved ones? Or, on the flip side, those who are excited for the next four years while you might be grieving?
Might I suggest spending some time in unfamiliar spaces, with unfamiliar faces, and getting to know their stories by serving them? If we keep an open mind and heart, learning about others’ stories cultivates empathy and understanding as we put ourselves in others’ shoes. Learning about others’ life experiences can help us humbly remember that just because we haven’t experienced something doesn’t mean it didn’t happen to someone else.
“The foundation of empathy has to be a willingness to listen to other peoples’ experiences and to believe they’re valid,” said Raymond Mar, a professor of psychology at York University in Toronto. “You don’t have to deny your own experience to accept someone else’s.”
Here are some ideas to help get you started:
If immigration is a concern for you, here are some ways you can show up to serve immigrants in Utah:
- Help refugees fill out online job applications and build/update resumes.
- Volunteer to teach English language learners.
- Volunteer to teach life skills to new arrivals, including navigating shopping, appointments and more.
- Help the Utah Refugee Scout troop.
- Work with neighbors to welcome a refugee family to your community.
If people who are economically disadvantaged and are receiving government aid are concerns for you, here are ways you can volunteer:
- Supporting single mothers during the Christmas season.
- Become a volunteer coach for single moms.
- Help feed youth experiencing homelessness.
- Help sew survival vests for those experiencing homelessness.
- Volunteer with Best Buddies, which pairs volunteers with people who have disabilities.
- Volunteer for the annual Point-in-Time count for Utahns experiencing homelessness.
Reaching out in kindness and wanting to understand can go a long way in healing the rifts (chasms?) dividing our country right now. This week, Elder Patrick Kearon of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted a message on social media encouraging us to “avoid the extremes in discourse in public life and in private life, too.”
He also said it would “do us well to turn and read and listen to the ideology and thoughts and concepts of those we currently may disagree with.” He continued: “We need to watch, we need to talk to those who don’t share our ideas and come to an understanding of them.” If we’ll do that with an open heart, he said, “we’ll be blessed to understand one another and become a force for peace.”
As a bruising election cycle ends and the holiday season begins, it’s the perfect time to put into action the words of the popular song: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
