The Invisibles around Us 0 comments
26th Sunday Ordinary Time
We have a minah bird in our house. When we bought it from Bataan, it did not talk. It took at least three months to train it talking. My fellow priest covered the cage with cloth and played a tape recorder everyday near the cage after he recorded some words. Now the bird can talk many words. Whenever someone opens the door in the refectory the bird will greet him, “Good morning.” “How are you?” “I love you.” “Kumain ka na?” (Have you eaten?). It's very nice. As if the bird really concern of you.
Staying in a seminary, we live as a community. We meet each other every time. However, there are many times when we, unlike our talking bird, do not really concern for others. Sometimes when someone meets the other we just pass by, no exchange of a single word, no greetings, no “hello”, no “good morning”, no “komusta”, no “kumain ka na” as if the others are invisible. It is not because the others are spirits, but because of indifference.
Someone says a slogan, “Live and let live.” This sounds wonderfully mature, liberal and trusting others. We do not step on each other's business. You do your thing and I'll do mine. I respect your space and you respect mine. However, it can be a mask for indifference, for a desire not to get involved or committed. In a certain extent it may be just a state that we are accustomed among each other and feel that there is no need to greet each other. But in some extent it can lead to a social “indifferentism”. We see friends slowly destroying themselves, and wee keep hands off. We seem to be avoiding to meddle in private affairs of others. We see abuses of the rights and dignity of others and we say nothing for fear of what will happen to us. We see so many opportunities for doing good, and we let them pass by because we do not want to get involved.
Our story about the rich man and Lazarus is found only in the Gospel of Luke. The rich man engages in conspicuous consumption. He feast splendidly every day. He wears the finest clothes. Outside his home is a beggar named Lazarus. He is covered with sores. He would be satisfied with the scraps that fall from the rich man's table.
The poor man, Lazarus, is invisible. This is the problem in a single word. The poor are not seen, heard or considered when plans are made and reactions are considered. The poor exist but the do not count. What they think, feel, desire, hope and feel are of no account. We can ignore them. Each of us can take comfort in “doing our won thing.” We see only what we want to see. We value what serves our interests and distracts us from our depression.
St. Luke tells us that the “dogs even came and licked his sores.” Even the street animals are sensitive to the needs of this beggar. Lazarus is not invisible to the dogs. The dogs reach out to Lazarus more than the rich man who continues to feast. But as we hear in the Gospel, Lazarus is his only hope of salvation. It is only if Lazarus becomes visible to the rich man that he can hope to possess what is of lasting value. However, the rich man's wealth and greed have fixed his eyes on the visible and the immediate. At times, we too, continue to search and collect more and more for what we believe will give us enough security and peace.
The connection between riches and the invisibility of the poor is steeped in history. The prophet Amos is preaching to the Northern Kingdom of Israel where the rich are complacent. They take their ease and feast with no regard for the poor. All the while, they have spiritually died: “They are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!” Nothing concerns them but their own self desires. But the end of this is fast approaching. Exile awaits those who are full and satisfied.
We need people [religious and political leaders] who will fit the job description provided by St. Paul: “Man of God that you are, seek after integrity, piety, faith, love, steadfastness and gentle spirit.” It is not simply the IQ that concerns us but the MQ – moral quotient – as well. If not, we end up with smart crooks and amoral but efficient people [leaders]. We need leaders who help us to see the needs of the poor. Such leaders open our eyes and let us see many Lazaruses around.They still sit waiting for scraps from our table. Our salvation depends on it!
