How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
- From 1 John 3
The classic film, Steel Magnolias, portrays the ever-present strength of Southern women, in the midst of men whose courage is mostly superficial. While the men lift heavy objects and go around "solving problems" with decisiveness, we see the women showing up at life's most poignant moment of need. Where the presence of people is mandatory, the women are there.
At the Cross of Golgotha, at history's most dire, distressed, and dangerous chapter, we see the military present, in overwhelming numbers. The political leaders are there. There's a mob nearby, that at the drop of a hat can turn violent . . . and it most recently had been stirred up in manic animus toward the Man on the center cross.
The smart people, the courageous people, the leaders . . . the men . . . in Christ's inner circle, did the "right" thing. They used their heads. They responded with intellect and not emotion. They consulted with experts: military friends. Roman business contacts. Personal connections. Respected local celebrities. The advice of all of these highly-regarded experts was the same: stay away.
The situation is too bleak. This Jesus had been a pock on society. He was toxic. In becoming so threatening to peace and order, you might even say that He and His followers were now a public health problem. If you Apostles get involved, people will get hurt. Good people will die. So stay away. Go home. Protect yourselves and your loved ones. Go lock yourselves into that upper room.
But the women . . .
The women . . . plus John the Revelator - the only man present at the Cross, the Apostle that wrote John 3:16, the Apostle that focused so much on love, service, caring, and putting yourself out there for others . . . they were present. They defied the practical advice of friends. They put themselves, and others, in danger by showing up at the foot of the Cross.
The hurting person, the ailing person, the hungry person, the needy person, the dying person . . . needs one thing above all others.
They need the presence, and the touch, of other people.
There are no qualifiers, no exceptions. It is cruel and inhumane to refuse to be present, in person, with your touch, when someone is dying.
Like the men in Steel Magnolias - - - we find it far too awkward to show up in hospitals, to sit with the dying. It makes us uncomfortable. We'll just stay away. Yes, that's prudent.
When your culture makes it a systemic thing, to avoid caring for the sick and dying, it goes beyond cruelty and borders on pure evil itself.
How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
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