A pithy saying goes, “being wrapped up in ourselves, we make very small parcels”. It’s particularly relevant in a culture where multiple influences push us increasingly into self-absorbed life-styles with isolationism reducing contemplation and thoughtful care for the needs and welfare of others.
Murray Smith
The ‘busyness’ of life, making ends meet and nurturing our own interests, easily consumes our focus to the point of it completely overshadowing awareness of other’s needs and struggles.
Pre-occupation with our own existence mutes the twinge of personal responsibility, dulling our social consciences and vision for helping others in their need.
To foster a caring and generous heart would make an enormous difference for those less fortunate – at the same time, contributing to our own inner growth.
Sadly, it’s common to hear of people dying alone in poverty.
A publication once ran a story of a man in his sixties who early on in life became estranged from family, then later lost even casual acquaintance with neighbours or passersby.
He died alone, unnoticed.
It was 11 days later when a contractor stumbled across his rough shack near an Auckland motorway.
A little bit of cash, a few meagre bits and pieces of stuff and some banking records (which helped identify him), were found near his body. There were no ‘suspicious’ circumstances – just a compilation of very sad ones.
Man sleeping on street. Photo: Timur Weber: pexels.com
His road to loneliness began as a baby when parents gave him away to a childless aunt and uncle, separating him from his 11 siblings. He never saw them much, never felt he was one of them, and eventually became homeless on the streets of Auckland.
One of the man’s sisters was later to say her brother never got over the upset of being ‘given away.’
His sisters and brothers offered to let him live with them, and a few times he did, but he always returned to the streets.
Such stories are not in short supply across our communities.
The reasons people “slip through the cracks” are many and varied but perhaps if we all cared a little more, there would be less sad stories.
It’s not new. Hardship was everywhere when Jesus was on earth. One time a lawyer questioned Jesus, seeking to entrap Him. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ response was, “love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength… and love your neighbour as yourself.“ (Luke 10:29)
Seeking to justify himself, the lawyer, essentially tried to find a loophole to limit who he needed to show compassion to. “And who is my neighbour?” he asked. Jesus responded with the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ to illustrate that anyone in need can be considered your neighbour, regardless of their background or social status.
Pro-actively showing care for others by showing generosity in meeting their needs would bless them and keep the creep of petty meanness from shrinking our hearts.
