At the heart of Christian ideology is loving God above all things and loving others as yourself. Essentially, compassion is at the heart of both Zen and Christianity, however, Christianity places emphasis on the living experience of unity in Christ. This means that Christians join Christ when they live as Christ lived, putting the needs of others before their own. Christians must shed their ego and dedicate their lives to the care and compassion of others. This is related to the Zen ideal of finding one's true nature. In Zen, one must empty one's ego and free oneself from self-slavery, since "Zen's concern for social justice is at the heart of its teachings" (Text 162). As soon as the ego is exhausted in Zen, "the suffering of others becomes one's own" and "the natural impulse to alleviate suffering by working to correct social injustices" is implemented (Text