EMPATHY

LUKE 16 - 25-26

But Abraham said "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things,

and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed,

so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot,

nor can those from there pass to us.

Empathy, not of a lot of that about any more.   It may be happening over there, but I still care deeply about the dreadful human suffering inflicted on those caught up in the melee.   Expressing my concerns at the future direction of my own country my christian companion suddenly stuck her fingers in her ears chanting "la la la la"

Most people really don't want to hear or even consider anything outside their own agenda or point of view.   They have comfortable homes, a couple of cars, and those that survived Thatcher's axe now sail the good ship retirement into the sunset.   Life is good.

BUT NOT FOR LONG.

While they are off on another holiday or weekend break at exactly the same time the bodies of an elderly couple, or should I say what was left of an elderly couple lie in the roadway in Ukraine.

Barely able to comprehend this dreadful atrocity I commented on the situation to be told "oh we don't watch the news"  almost as if to say everything is okay in my back yard.

BUT NOT FOR LONG.

These are people who profess to follow Christ and it has hardly penetrated their mindset.   Is it a question of mere de-sensitization, after all bodies lying around on the ground are paraded on television sets with alarming frequency in our so called civilized world.  Or perhaps will their chickens only come home to roost when their home is a pile of cinders, or Ebola knocks on their door.

Only this week there was a report on the Max Keiser programme about a man about to have both his legs amputated who had been informed he needed to transfer to another benefit.   Immediately his existing benefit ceased and he had no money for food.   He stole £12.60p worth of steak from a supermarket.

What kind of Store Manager knowing the circumstances of this man would turn him in.  What kind of Judge would send him to jail for six weeks.   What was actually meant to be a punishment turned out to be a blessing because at least he would eat the slop they call food for six weeks whilst the authorities processed the paperwork. 

On the other hand a High Frequency Trading Outfit was fined 1 million dollars for stealing money from other NASDAQ investors.    No one is in jail for that crime.  

Evil is advancing and it would appear the scales are very tilted in favour of the rich whilst the less fortunate in society suffer, but perhaps until it actually arrives on our doorstep we are conveniently short of empathy.