Pontifex
Laos | 2017 © Alicia Kae Miller
If I ever had an opportunity to sit down and talk with Mr. Charlie Kirk, I would have shared my complete agreement with his assertion, "when people stop talking, that's when you get violence." As we now know, tragically, his assassination speaks directly to this point.
While it feels like a lifetime ago, I recall in 2022, when he shared on a podcast, "I think empathy is a made-up New Age term that does a lot of damage." When I heard this sentiment, I laughed out loud, because I knew what perhaps his audience did not.
The German word "einfühlung," meaning "in feeling," dates back to the 1880s and was translated into English as "empathy" in the early 20th century; thus, it is clearly not a novel concept. Furthermore, I would argue that the feeling that comes with being seen, heard, and understood dates back to the dawn of human existence.
To put it another way, like it or not, we are interconnected and all have feelings; thus, what happens to one person affects us all.
I understand that an echo chamber can be comforting, and I frequently retreat to one of my own; however, I am also aware of how self-limiting it can be. So, let your vulnerability emerge from its safe confines of the known and take in the luminosity of the unknown by engaging divergent voices, and realize that no matter how vast the perceived divide may be, you can bridge the gap with the inclusion of empathy.
Until we meet again, let us sit in peace with greater compassion and less hatred for one another. ❤️
Yours in Solidarity, -akm
October 2025