Are Christians Called to Suffer Alongside Others?

ALS is an inconceivable disease. The depths of suffering it brings are difficult to fathom without personal experience. When people first learned of my wife’s diagnosis, the outpouring was overwhelming.  People offered to help in any way and reached out regularly.  Yet, as the disease dragged on, as any chronic disease will do, the calls were less frequent, and the offers for assistance diminished.   They weren’t living with this chronic disease, and therefore, it became a classic case of “out of sight, out of mind.” 

As for those less intimate with our family, when I would share that my wife had ALS, people often responded with sympathetic and albeit uncomfortable apologies, not knowing what to say or do to help. Sure, people can understand the fact that ALS is a wretched, heart-wrenching disease; but this deep pain that our family knew personally failed to pierce the hearts of others in the same way it did each of us.

However, it was obvious when someone else had similarly journeyed through ALS alongside a loved one. Instead of a well-intended and short condolence, their “I’m sorry” was warmed by the authenticity of their own experience and empathy. 

And that’s the thing, isn’t it? It’s so difficult to understand what someone else is actually walking through. It’s complicated to understand the depths of another’s heart, situation, and story; we inevitably detach ourselves from the pain and suffering others walk through, forgetting about their realities when we are not the ones walking through those realities day in and day out. The truth is it’s nearly impossible to authentically step into someone else’s shoes.

Yet, Called to More

Despite our near inability to understand the hearts, depths, circumstances, and emotions of others, as followers of Christ, we are called to do so all the same. Romans 12:15 commands us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” According to the Word of God, we are called to love all people, having hearts of compassion for their plights; we are called to pray for the nations; we are called to defend the oppressed, the poor and the weak.

Therefore, we cannot ignore our brothers and sisters who are hurting—including those abroad whom we do not know in countries about whom we hear mixed political messages. If we are choosing to follow God, we cannot side with a political agenda that contradicts the Bible; we also cannot blanketly hate any people group, even in instances when we know that their leadership is against America. And we cannot forget about them just because we aren’t in the trenches of suffering alongside them every single day. 

This includes Palestine, Israel, Russia, and Ukraine. Not only are we called to love, but we are called to take action that reflects the empathy Christ feels for all who suffer.  

The Innocents of Ukraine

As I work closely with many people in Eastern Europe, my heart is moved with compassion on such a deep, personal level for the people of Ukraine. As I have watched them waste away over the last two years, many displaced, and without food or warm clothing amid a brutal winter in the ongoing war, these innocents are simply trying to stay alive. 

Currently, Ukrainian children are dying each and every day from the bombings, starvation, and literally freezing to death. Despite news coverage primarily focused on U.S. politics and the War on Israel, innocent Ukrainian people are experiencing death and suffering in much the same way as the Palestinians in Gaza. Many of these are Christians, our very brothers and sisters in Christ. And many more are people hungering for God, desperate for a Savior, loved by Jesus. The war in Ukraine hasn’t stopped; it has been their daily reality for over two years now, with no end in sight. 

Yet, how quickly we forget a people group that isn’t headlining the news. How quickly we dismiss an entire nation when we hear rumors of a few bad political actors. How quickly we read this tragic reality for the children of Ukraine, thinking, “Gosh, that’s sad,” and move forward with our regular life routine without further thought. 

Would Jesus Do the Same?

Yes, it’s difficult to step into someone else’s shoes, especially when we know nothing about their circumstances or hearts. Yet, we are called to something profound and different in Christ. We are commanded to be apart from the world while in this world.

Yes, I have first-hand experience with these people; I’ve witnessed their precious hearts—their hurt, loss, and desperation amid these tragedies, as well as their joy and freedom in finding Jesus and sharing His love with others. I have seen an overwhelming number of Ukrainians desperately asking for the Word of God over anything else in humanitarian shelters. I cannot explain how moving these people are—how lovely, how generous, kind, and wholesome they are, not only to one another but also towards other people groups. 

I share this so that others might have a taste of compassion for these people whom they do not know. Jesus certainly would. Jesus held instant, overwhelming, and action-oriented love for every soul on earth. If we fail to mimic this love, we fail to follow the Gospel.

How can we develop hearts of compassion for those we do not know—and even for those we hate?

Despite our shortcomings in identifying with others, an inclination of our nature—a nature that is so quick to war with others—we are not our nature. As Christians, we are surrendered to Christ Jesus, one with him, and called to obedience in the Holy Spirit. We can ask the Lord to show us his heart for those we do not love, know, or relate with; in earnest, we can ask him to give us a heart that matches His.

Mind you, this is a powerful prayer. When we ask God for this, it will transform us. It will cost us our attention, and it will birth compassion. And isn’t that beautiful? When we develop deepened empathy for those we do not know, those we have previously failed to love, and even those we disagree with, we demonstrate the incomprehensible love of Jesus. 

This is the Gospel lived out. Even though we turned our backs on Jesus, sinning against him in rebellion, He loved us enough to die for us at exactly the right time. He chose to lavish His mercy, compassion, and tender love on us. How can we not model that love for others—despite the country they were born in, how they were raised, or the circumstances they’ve faced? Do they not warrant that same compassion, remembrance, and grace we’ve been granted? They are not undeserving of the Gospel message, nor are they forgotten by Jesus. 

May we ask Jesus for these hearts, taking action to help these fellow believers, as well as those who have yet to know Christ. Through the tangible love of Christ, may we act as the hands and feet of the church — ever-remembering those who suffer as if that very suffering were our own — supporting Ukrainians to provide tangible resources, Bibles, prayer, and hope. May we serve as a voice for these suffering people, stepping into their shoes as Jesus would, advocating for them, and breathing the life of the Gospel to them through that love.

Related Resource: The Key to Facing Life's Hardest Moments

What do you do when life's tough circumstances occur? Do you ignore God and believe the lie that God is not being good to you? Listen to this episode of The Crosswalk Devotional and learn the key to facing life's hardest moments.

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Dirk Smith is Vice President of EEM (Eastern European Mission), which has been providing Bibles to the people of Eastern Europe since 1961, now reaching 32 countries in 26 languages. They provided 2 million Bibles and Bible-based materials free of charge in the region in 2023, including in public schools in Croatia, Hungary, Ukraine and North Macedonia. Learn more at www.eem.org.