Lacking Compassion is lacking God
Monday, 27th week in Ordinary Time
Jon 1:1 - 2:1, 11; Lk 10: 25-37
Recently talking to a group of parish leaders on living our faith in our day to day life, I observed the reality of the treacherous imbalance in the so called development in India. A gentleman from the crowd immediately made a statement so categorically that left me wondering. He said, 'all these poor people you say, are poor because they are lazy and irresponsible!' When I retorted with a question, 'all of them?'...he conceded a bit saying, 'atleast half of them' and then on my further pursuance he came to saying, 'atleast a big number of them'!
At times we make rash judgements on persons because we lack compassion. When we lack compassion, we lack godliness. Jonah today wanted the people of Niniveh to perish in their sins. He did not want to call them to conversion of their heart because he thought they would escape the punishment that was due to them. We could be like Jonah so much guided by vendetta but we are called to reach out like the Samaritan, doing all that we could to anyone in need...not stand there enquiring whether the person is deserving or not, whether my efforts will bear the best results or not. That is lack of compassion, and lacking compassion is lacking God.