Practicing Empathy When the California Fires Don't Affect Me
East Tennessee is home; it's where my husband and I settled after moving all over the country. It's where I had my first baby. The Appalachian mountains settle my nerves and soothe my soul. The sweet tea and southern twang on the tongues of the locals are more than charming. They're endearing and warm. East Tennessee is my home.
When last year's Appalachian flooding directly impacted my town, when we lost a young man in my community who was only trying to help others, it was felt. The main bridge my family takes into town is still out and won't be rebuilt until this summer. Each day, I'm reminded of loss, of my church family and close friends who lost everything from their power to their farming sheds to their entire homes.
I recall feeling frustrated with America, wondering why it seemed so few people checked on us, why little help—from family and friends to social media influencers and even the federal government—was offered.
They don't care that we're suffering because it doesn't directly impact their lives, I thought. And man, if I didn't adopt the same apathetic shrug of my shoulders when I saw Los Angeles, California engulfed in flames.
My son and I are battling a nasty combo of RSV and head colds. My kitchen is completely gutted for renovations. I have my own drama going on.
That's what their firemen are for, right?
The local pastors should be stepping up, right?
Hollywood should finally cough up some of their multi-millions and spread the wealth, right?
Clearly, I'm all for empathy so long as it benefits my life. Such are the selfish ways of all of us if we're honest. So how do we practice empathy when the California fires don't directly affect us? When it's not our loved ones running for their lives, our homes turned to ash, and our favorite coffee shops and restaurants disintegrated?
1. Pivot Your Prayer Routine
It's too easy for prayers to become robotic, a pattern of platitudes to check off our list so we can get on with controlling our days in all the ways we told God we would surrender to His sovereignty. But if we want to get serious about being empathetic for complete strangers, we must pivot our prayer routine. Our words must be intentional and shift away from a to-do list for God and toward the request that He grant us wisdom for how we can best serve from where we are.
Perhaps it's an unpopular opinion, but I believe our prayer life has never solely been about us. It's centered on us spending enough time with God in a posture of humility that we become more like Him. Thus our prayer life shapes us into people who are willing to look for ways to help others, even if we don't personally know them or our time, efforts, and donations will never be returned in Job's ten-fold fashion (Job 42:10-16).
2. Recognize Your Responsibility
Consider the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The Good Samaritan had nothing to gain by helping the robbed man left for dead. But when he came across his path, he was left with a simple choice: to help or not. Between network news channels, the internet, and countless social media platforms, we—like it or not—have come across the path of California's destruction and are left with the same choice: to help or not.
Remember, no one is demanding that you suit up in a fireman's gear and stampede into the billowing smoke. I doubt anyone is asking you to sponsor helicopters to evacuate citizens. However, I guarantee you on-the-ground organizations are begging for anything from bottled water for firemen to financial donations to house and support those who have lost everything, and if some have lost everything, we can give up something.
Consider simple ways you can save funds to turn into donations. Cut that Friday morning Starbucks run—Lord knows there's no need spending seven dollars on a drink loaded with processed sugar anyway. What if those new tennis shoes for the gym can wait another month? Use that pivoted prayer time to ask God for specific ways you can save money to share with those in California.
After all, God isn't slow to show us how we can help others. We are simply slow in volunteering for Him to use us.
3. Give Gratitude a Go
Humans are survivors. Biology points to the ways God designed our bodies to fight to keep us alive and well. We are no different on a psychological level when it comes to preserving our finances and stability. We want what is predictable and safe for us and our families. That's not necessarily a bad thing; God designed our bodies to live and breathe and withstand hard times. But if we never practice gratitude, we won't recognize our abundance and will stay stuck in survival mode. We will gravitate towards patterns of hoarding and self-protection at all costs.
Yet, if we take a few moments throughout the day to count simple blessings, we will recognize how safe and secure we are—not only physically but spiritually in Christ. This freedom grants us headspace and heartspace to freely give away what we have because we know, in Christ, we truly lack no good thing. Psalm 32:9-10 beautifully confirms this idea by sharing, "There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing."
I'll be the first to admit that life is much easier lived as an ostrich, your head stuck in the sand, only aware of your present needs. But I'll remind you that what is safe often doesn't steady the soul. Predictability and selfishness rarely leave the heart satisfied. That's because we were made for more than monotony. Routine was never meant to rule us. God isn't a boring God. He often isn't safe, but He's steadfast, and we are forever secure in fulfilling our destiny so long as we walk in His footsteps.
I encourage you, along with myself, to get a little uncomfortable as you shift your prayer routine, recognize the responsibility you have as a Christ follower, and give gratitude an honest, eye-opening go. Realize that we often regret staying on the sidelines, but no one regrets stepping up and doing something that matters.
If you're looking for specific organizations already making headway in California, here's a quick list to get started:
Red Cross
Salvation Army
World Central Kitchen
Airbnb
CAL FIRE Benevolent Foundation
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Apu Gomes/Stringer
Originally published January 09, 2025.
