“The most deadly poison in our time is indifference.” ~ St. Maximilian Kolbe
Kolbe watched the world around him fall apart. Jews were being housed in ghettos before ultimately being transported to concentration camps for extermination. Catholics, scholars, philosophers, and a whole host of others joined the Jews in being sent away oftentimes for extermination as well. There was a great amount of indifference that was shown for the plight of others. Sometimes, that indifference was fed by fear. Other times, people simply didn’t care.
When we do not care about the plight of others, sooner or later it might catch up with us and we will find ourselves in the same position as those about whom we didn’t care. We must take care of our brothers and sisters in need. To be indifferent could be a terrible blow to another.
We have people around the world being affected by indifference. Some people are the victims of genocide and countries ignore their plight because they don’t want to get involved or because they are afraid of ramifications. Some people are victims of poverty and are ignored by the institutions that are put in place to provide for their need. The list could go on and on but I am sure that you get the idea. Indifference is insidious and harmful if not downright lethal.
Jesus reached out to those on the fringes, those to whom great indifference was shown. Because He did so, there were many in power who looked down on Him and ostracized Him. They were not willing to consider the plight of the needy. All they cared about was their own selves and their own power base.
When we are willing to ignore the plight of those who are legitimately in need, we do everyone a disservice. We have been commissioned by the Lord to continue His lifesaving mission. If we fail His people, we fail Him and ourselves.
FAITH ACTION: Don’t settle for inaction. Rather than ignoring a person, make a difference in someone’s life today.