Indifference is worse than Hate!
Readings Jer
17:5-10; Ps 1; Lk 16:19-31
A glance through
the story of the rich man and Lazarus (in the gospel of today) raises the
question of what actually was the sin of the rich man. The man did not commit
any thing, according to the gospel, but he omitted something. We are condemned
either by sins of commission or sins of omission. The bible did not tell us
that the rich man had any case to answer for the former; rather he was
condemned by the later—his responsibility towards the poor Lazarus.
The rich man was condemned
for his indifference. “The opposite of love is not hate but indifference”. Dives, the rich man neither loved Lazarus, nor
hated him. Rather he was so insensitive to notice that this poor man,
who goes in rags, is starved. A French writer, Andre Maurois, once wrote that
“old age is far more than white hair, wrinkles, the feeling that it is too late
and the game is finished, that the stage belongs to the rising generations. The
truest evil is not the weakening of the body, but the indifference of the soul”.
Today, God is calling us out of our comfort
zones to feel the pains of the poor in the society and do something to better
their situations. If the situation of the poor does not disturb us, no matter
where we think we are in spirituality, we are missing the mark. So, care for
the poor in our midst will be the criteria for our judgment on the last day. (Matt
25:31ff)
