When the Wellspring Dries: A Druid's Reflection on Empathy and the Spirit
By Rev. Joseph Villalobos, Ordained ULC Druid Minister and Pastoral Counselor
As an ordained minister of the Druidic faith and a pastoral counselor, I have devoted my life to tending the sacred interconnectedness of all beings. My path is one of deep listening, honoring the cycles of nature, and walking alongside individuals through life’s most profound transitions. It is from this vantage point—rooted in reverence for life and the intricate web of human experience—that I feel compelled to address recent events and the words of Charlie Kirk.
First, let me be clear: I do not condone political violence in any form. I am both disgusted and disturbed by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Violence against another human being is always a desecration of the sacred. It cannot heal, it cannot redeem, and it cannot resolve the divisions of our time. Yet I am equally disturbed by how swiftly some voices within the MAGA movement have sought to crown Mr. Kirk as a martyr. To sanctify a political figure in this way, especially one whose rhetoric has long been polarizing and dismissive of empathy, is a troubling sign of the spiritual confusion that grips our nation.
Not long ago, Mr. Kirk dismissed empathy as a “made-up, new-age term” and went so far as to suggest that “some deaths are acceptable in order to maintain the Second Amendment.” To hear the value of human life—each precious spark within the greater whole—reduced to an “acceptable cost” is not merely an intellectual disagreement. It is a spiritual wound, one that trembles through the very roots of my being.
In my work as a pastoral counselor, I witness daily the profound beauty and fragility of existence. I sit with people in their grief, their struggles, their transformations. In these sacred spaces, empathy is not a luxury or a talking point—it is the vital breath that allows connection, comfort, and healing. It is the capacity to feel another’s joy, sorrow, or fear as if it were your own, bridging the gap between isolated selves and affirming our shared humanity.
From a Druidic perspective, empathy is a manifestation of our inherent connection to the Imbas—the divine flow of inspiration and life that permeates all things. To deny empathy is to sever oneself from this flow, to dim the inner light that recognizes the sacredness in every creature, every tree, every human soul.
This brings me to a professional observation, one I make with a heavy heart but a clear conscience. As a counselor, I am trained to understand human behavior and spiritual well-being. The consistent dismissal of empathy, coupled with an apparent inability to grasp the suffering of others, reflects troubling traits I often see in those with strong narcissistic orientations. A hallmark of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is precisely this: a profound lack of empathy, an inability to recognize or respond to the feelings and needs of others. Whether or not any individual meets diagnostic criteria, the pattern of behavior we saw in Mr. Kirk’s rhetoric—and in the unwavering loyalty of certain extreme elements within the MAGA movement—bears disturbing similarities.
Here, personal conviction (or grievance) eclipses compassion. The needs of the “in-group” are amplified, while the suffering of the “other” is minimized, dismissed, or even celebrated. This, in my considered professional opinion, is not simply a political stance but a spiritual ailment—one that corrodes the health of the soul and the bonds that sustain our society.
A culture that tolerates or celebrates the erosion of empathy is a culture in spiritual drought. It becomes a place where human beings are seen not as sacred presences but as tools or obstacles, where the vibrant tapestry of life is torn into factions, and where the wellspring of human kindness begins to dry.
My Druidic path teaches reverence for life in all its forms. My counseling experience teaches me the necessity of compassion. We must reclaim empathy not as a “new-age term” but as an ancient wisdom—a force that binds us, heals us, and reminds us of our shared journey on this sacred Earth. If we allow the wellspring of empathy to dry, we risk not only our collective future but the very essence of our humanity.
As an ordained minister of the Druidic faith and a pastoral counselor, I have devoted my life to tending the sacred interconnectedness of all beings. My path is one of deep listening, honoring the cycles of nature, and walking alongside individuals through life’s most profound transitions. It is from this vantage point—rooted in reverence for life and the intricate web of human experience—that I feel compelled to address recent events and the words of Charlie Kirk.
First, let me be clear: I do not condone political violence in any form. I am both disgusted and disturbed by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Violence against another human being is always a desecration of the sacred. It cannot heal, it cannot redeem, and it cannot resolve the divisions of our time. Yet I am equally disturbed by how swiftly some voices within the MAGA movement have sought to crown Mr. Kirk as a martyr. To sanctify a political figure in this way, especially one whose rhetoric has long been polarizing and dismissive of empathy, is a troubling sign of the spiritual confusion that grips our nation.
Not long ago, Mr. Kirk dismissed empathy as a “made-up, new-age term” and went so far as to suggest that “some deaths are acceptable in order to maintain the Second Amendment.” To hear the value of human life—each precious spark within the greater whole—reduced to an “acceptable cost” is not merely an intellectual disagreement. It is a spiritual wound, one that trembles through the very roots of my being.
In my work as a pastoral counselor, I witness daily the profound beauty and fragility of existence. I sit with people in their grief, their struggles, their transformations. In these sacred spaces, empathy is not a luxury or a talking point—it is the vital breath that allows connection, comfort, and healing. It is the capacity to feel another’s joy, sorrow, or fear as if it were your own, bridging the gap between isolated selves and affirming our shared humanity.
From a Druidic perspective, empathy is a manifestation of our inherent connection to the Imbas—the divine flow of inspiration and life that permeates all things. To deny empathy is to sever oneself from this flow, to dim the inner light that recognizes the sacredness in every creature, every tree, every human soul.
This brings me to a professional observation, one I make with a heavy heart but a clear conscience. As a counselor, I am trained to understand human behavior and spiritual well-being. The consistent dismissal of empathy, coupled with an apparent inability to grasp the suffering of others, reflects troubling traits I often see in those with strong narcissistic orientations. A hallmark of Narcissistic Personality Disorder is precisely this: a profound lack of empathy, an inability to recognize or respond to the feelings and needs of others. Whether or not any individual meets diagnostic criteria, the pattern of behavior we saw in Mr. Kirk’s rhetoric—and in the unwavering loyalty of certain extreme elements within the MAGA movement—bears disturbing similarities.
Here, personal conviction (or grievance) eclipses compassion. The needs of the “in-group” are amplified, while the suffering of the “other” is minimized, dismissed, or even celebrated. This, in my considered professional opinion, is not simply a political stance but a spiritual ailment—one that corrodes the health of the soul and the bonds that sustain our society.
A culture that tolerates or celebrates the erosion of empathy is a culture in spiritual drought. It becomes a place where human beings are seen not as sacred presences but as tools or obstacles, where the vibrant tapestry of life is torn into factions, and where the wellspring of human kindness begins to dry.
My Druidic path teaches reverence for life in all its forms. My counseling experience teaches me the necessity of compassion. We must reclaim empathy not as a “new-age term” but as an ancient wisdom—a force that binds us, heals us, and reminds us of our shared journey on this sacred Earth. If we allow the wellspring of empathy to dry, we risk not only our collective future but the very essence of our humanity.
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