In November Nelson Books reached out to me on Instagram asking if I would like to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Lauren Casper’s new book Loving Well in a Broken World: Discover the Hidden Power of Empathy. In her book, Lauren tells how the key to loving people well is to embrace the power of empathy. Jesus has called us to love our neighbors as ourselves- Lauren addresses how we can do this through empathy.
When I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. Practicing empathy is something I strive to be better at and I strongly believe the world would be a better place if we actually put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. In fact I wrote a blog post about this a year ago, Someone’s Story. Needless to say, I knew this book was something I could get behind.
One of my favorite quotes from her book is, “If empathy is the ability to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, doing so becomes far easier when we look down to see the scuffed toes, fraying laces, and holes in the soles of our own sneakers. When our own shoes are ragged and worn, we’re no longer reluctant to take them for a walk down our neighbor’s muddy path. The harsh reality is that it’s just not possible to live a life void of suffering. And knowing that we all fall down should make us a little more gracious, and a little more generous, and a little gentler when those around us do. It should make us not just willing but eager to sit with our suffering neighbor and offer any comfort possible, knowing that one day we may nee them to do the same with us. Pride is the devil on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, “This will never be you.” And if it ever was, I convince myself I’d do it differently. Better. But empathy whispers to my heart, “This could be me. How can I love today?””
This book is one I think everyone should read. It is available for pre-order now and comes out February 18th!
Ciara
SincerelyC 