TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE SIN OF INDIFFERENCE

         

Pope Francis speaks on a world stage. He has brought the sin of indifference into our daily consciousness. In fact, he refers the lack of caring for the poor of this world on the part of the rich and powerful, not only as indifference, but it is a ‘armor plated’ indifference. The only place where armor plate is used is to reinforce the vehicles that drive the heads of states as they move from event to event. Armor plate is installed in a vehicle to make a vehicle bullet proof.

 

Could you find a stronger image to define the lack of compassion that is exhibited today towards the poor of this world? 

 

There is a powerful story in the teachings of Jesus that point out indifference (Lk. 16, 19-31). There is a rich man and the poor man, Lazarus, who grovels in destitution at the rich man’s gate. Both die. Lazarus ends up with Abraham; the rich man ends up in Hades (punishment). The rich man did not go to Hades (hell) because he was rich. He ended up in punishment because he did not care about the poor man right at his gate.

 

The rich man was punished by his own indifference!

 

Where is the indifference today?

 

Wherever human beings do not care about the well-being of the neighbor, there is indifference.

 

We have indifference in our families when the other siblings just do not come forward to help in the care of the aged parent. One daughter and her husband look after the aging mother. The other daughter never volunteers to help or says, “I’ll come and look after Mom for a week so that you can take a little holiday.”

 

There is indifference to the sufferings of men and women addicted to drugs and the pain their families endure. The society can read the headlines of the huge number of drug overdoes each year but we just turn the page. There is an indifference of listening to the addicted individuals and their suffering families. 

 

What of the indifference towards the great number of men and women who are unemployed during this covid year? Who supports them in their struggles to make life meaningful when your employment is an essential part to your personal well-being?

 

There is indifference to future generations. What responsibility do we have (the present generation on this earth)  to hand on a sustainable and healthy earth to the fifth, sixth and seventh generations after us? We cannot get into thinking about the well-being of future generations.

 

There is still great indifference towards our care for the earth. How many industries and cities dump their toxic waste products and sewage into our rivers? Do we not have a responsibility to ensure that our rivers flow with clean and healthy water? How do we move out of our indifference towards the earth into a healthy future?

 

Indifference is not a new sin. The label may be new, but the evil is ever so real. But Pope Francis is challenging the world and the church to come to grips with its reality. We are challenged to how we can distance ourselves from the sufferings of others, from the daily grind of the poor of this world. How have our hearts grown hard?

 

Pope Francis is challenging believers, all religious people on the earth and non-believers to take ownership of the indifference to the plight of the poor: our personal indifference and the indifference in our culture and our governments.