As I was reading my spiritual book ‘Let us Dream’ – by Pope Francis, I come across this paragraph that threw me into deep thoughts. It was talking how covid has unmask another pandemic that many of us have been giving a blind eye. The pandemic of indifference. A pandemic that I was consider as the spirit of looking away, the spirit of ‘So what’. 

It is a spirit that was there before ‘Adam’ as Jamaican would say because it was noted in the scripture, Luke 16:19-31. These two were neighbors who knew each other so well to know each other’s names. Lazarus knew his neighbor was rich and so he come to get whatever he could to sustain him. On the other hand, the rich man knew the situation of Lazarus but maybe he said, ‘Poor thing!’ and walked to his busyness. 

Popes tells a story of a portray that was drown a lady, well wrapped up against cold, it must be a season like this of Christmas when it gets cold, chilly and snow in some places. And also, on  the same portray was a lady, poorly dressed, seated on a crate outside this beautiful restaurant. I can imagine her shivering from cold, her hand shaking while stretched to get little penny to buy something at list to warm her belly. Just imagine the scenario.

The two stories from different time and season continue replaying in our society today. The spirit of ‘So what’… what’s it to do with me? Especially when there is nothing seems to be happening at the moment, no immediate or magic solution as pope puts it, it is better not to do anything. 

Does this sound familiar to you?

This spirit has taken roots in our lives as Christians and while I can be so comfortable to look away, it becomes normal, and gently like rain drops on futile soil it is seeped into our lifestyle. The thoughts we always cultivate in our big heads is “if I worry about it, how am I going to relax, is it going to help me?”. 

We have a challenge during the advent reminding us to overcome this spirit of looking away when we see the suffering of others, giving a blind eye and walk away as if nothing is happening. Pope Francis states that, “The essence of God is mercy, which is seeing and being moved but moved with action.” 

Contemplating on these beautiful words this song come into my mind, “Something down inside of me, telling me to go on….” And this is the spirit of God that responds immediately, with warmth and genuine concern, offering a response, ready to do what has to be done. 

Passion, like the word love has been overused and less valued and on the other hand, zeal … a word used many times in the scripture, word that has been used to replace passion just as ‘Like’ has been used to replace love. When we are rooted in God’s love, then the flow of that love will flow into our relationships and they will bear fruits, and when grief come, we can still love. This love is fresh when we are healthy or unhealthy. It is a choice we make every day, every minute, to love because it is not all about love alone but the connection in friendship with God, who come and showed us how to love and who wishes that we create new and good relationships in love. If we really want to fight this spirit of indifference, the spirit of ‘so what’ then we are invited this season and after this season to cultivate love and friendship with God, these are the basement of eradicating indifference, the spirit of ‘so what’ what’s it to do with me?