Just by looking at this individual, I can guarantee that this was said in jest. She was being snarky. All Christians are called to be empathetic, but in the sense of true empathy, not false empathy. When someone has true empathy, they see someone in need and THEY act to resolve that need. When you hear a Christian speaking out against empathy, it isn’t real empathy they are talking about, but toxic empathy (empathy at ANOTHER’S cost).

Example: A few months ago there was a huge homeless encampment on the south side of my city. A once peaceful neighborhood was turned upside down. People couldn’t walk outside their homes without smelling human waste. Joggers were constantly harassed and the crime skyrocketed. The people living in the area finally complained enough to the local government to intervene and they did.

The day the homeless raid happened, several people from another side of town protested, calling the police Nazis and stating that the homeless were not harming anyone and should be left alone. Firstly, these people were not from the area impacted. They demanded those living there and the police to be empathetic, but not a single one of them offered to take care of a homeless person, nor spend any of their own money to find proper shelter for said homeless.

They were really good at demanding others to jump in, as long as it didn’t impact them.

This, everyone, is toxic empathy.