In hospital chaplaincy, chaplains are trained to be empathetic. This means we learn to sit with those we are providing care to as a practice for healing. Empathy is difficult because it requires vulnerability. It means listening to what I don’t always agree with. It means being open to what I’m uncomfortable with. Yet, empathy builds the bond. It gestures, “I hear you and see you.” It unites diversity, difference, and opposition. Empathy is love. Our communal connections require love and empathy. Without this love, we perish. Without empathy, we stifle growth in our bonds. Our personal and communal growth is tied to how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be, even amidst differences.