A world without compassion is like a tree without roots. Any society that lacks compassionate citizenship is a lifeless society. This can only be tested over time.
A world without compassion is similar to the world of ‘Cain and Abel’ which was characterized by envy, jealousy and murder (Genesis 4:6-8). It is a world where babies are dumped into ‘blocked gutters’ and the masses watch without a care. It is a world devoid of altruism.
In a world without compassion, we would live in a state of delusion, governed by our idiosyncrasies at the service of our passion. Fighting, envy, hatred and war become the hallmark of citizenship. Nothing is done for love in such a society; each acts on the basis of what he will get. That seems to be very devastating! It is not like this? The poor are without a voice, without hope, without love and without a future. A world without compassion is a dangerous world to live in. “Could it be that we are living in this world?”
Our world today has not been able to stop most of the challenges/vices that afflict us, such as poverty, sexual immorality, drug abuse, theft, war, among others. Fifty-seven (57) million die each year of hunger on planet earth, of which fifteen (15) million are children. Every 3.6 seconds, a person dies of hunger. In Africa, twenty-seven (27) million die each year from malaria. Three (3) billion people in the world today struggle to survive on US$2 a day. Drug trafficking, forced labor, armed robbery, tribal warfare, racism, and ethnic conflict are the prevailing norms that plague us. Gun seems to be the means by which we come to power. In some countries, children are only worth the gun in their hand to shoot. I asked again: “Could it be that we are living in this world?”
Our moral pillars are getting weaker and weaker every day. “What is happening to our world?” In my view, the moral perplexities we face in this 21st century are certainly rooted in the self. Most of us have become complacent with life. We no longer have hearts for each other. After all, who cares!
Amos lived and preached at a time when the nation of Israel was divided into a northern and southern kingdom. People lived in opulence, thus allowing their luxurious lives to blind them to God’s promises regarding justice, mercy, and equality. The truth is that they lived in abundance but the means of distribution were not evenly distributed.
The rich got richer and the poor got poorer, creating a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots. In this sense, the prophet Amos entered the scene to awaken his moral imagination for a new way of living and loving, since they have become complacent, lazy or lukewarm in their commitment to covenant with God and with their neighbor. The Prophet charged them and said, “Woe to those who are quiet in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria”, – Amos 6:1. This charge is as applicable today as it was during the dispensation of Amos.
The charge is for all those who have forgotten their moral duty to visit hospitals, evangelize prisoners, feed the hungry and clothe the naked. In the quest to multiply wealth, most people have become fools in a world without compassion.
The foolishness of the rich man who showed no compassion for the vulnerable and marginalized cost him his life (Read Luke 12:16-20); the foolishness of anyone who imitates his lifestyle will cost him the same, his life.
Compassion is a force that unites us as human beings. It is the foundation on which the pillars of human life rest. Compassion gives meaning to life and improves our well-being.
Some people enjoy the gratification of causing pain and degradation to others, while for others their gratification depends on self-inflicted physical pain. The former is sadistic while the latter is masochistic. Regardless, take the admonition from Nelson Mandela’s words: “Our human compassion binds us together, not out of pity or condescension, but as human beings who have learned to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” . No matter how you look at it, being human is being compassionate. In order for us to live a dignified life, then it is necessary to clothe ourselves with this essential virtue of sustenance: compassion!