Half-Hearted Sympathy

As the very sad news of the passing of Pastor Rick and his wife Kay Warren's son made its way through Twitter, I began to see tweets of condolences that upset me. Now, anyone that keeps on top of the issues knows that Rick Warren is a controversial figure, no matter which side of the issue you are on. Many conservative evangelicals are often at odds with how he practices his theology.

So, at a moment such as this, where a family is hurting after the loss of their son, is it really time to take a shot at your differences with that person? I say that because I kept coming across tweets that said things like, "While I often disagree with him, I am praying for the Warren family and am sorry for their loss." Really?!?! Why can't you just say you are praying for them and are truly sorry for their loss?

When you say or post similar statements during people's suffering, what you are really doing is revealing your own heart -and it's wicked! True compassion for others does not mean you take a person's tragedy to remind them why you think they are wrong.

Half-hearted sympathy is full-hearted sorriness.