A Christian Perspective on Social Issues

By GHK Lall

Our voices ought to be the leading voices in the call and cry for justice. In case a refresher is needed, it means equity, and a revulsion at those practices that collide with what Jesus taught, with what he commanded that we hold close to our hearts. Jesus extracted us from the depths of darkness. So why are we, the Catholics in this country, languishing at the back of the line, when it comes to taking a stand for the forgotten and the downtrodden, the afflicted and the bedeviled? Where is our bright light amidst all this national revelry? Have we become like the Corinthians of old too caught in the ways of the world, and lost to the call of Jesus, and the power of his call? We cannot and must not get so close to this group or that group (and their chiefs) that the intensity of our Christian identity has faded to a sickly shadow? That is, too subsumed to the wishes and visions of hard men, that Jesus and his Father become secondary in our lives? And, by extension, the people that Jesus treasured? He himself told us that when one hurts, he hurts. There are a whole lot of wounded people in Guyana, which is because they are without. If all they are good for from us in a little lip service here and there, then I will assert that there is little separating us from that fine fellow gorging himself while Lazarus lingered in his countless agonies at the bottom of the bottom. Come to think of it, among all this noise and clamor, I pull up the blinds and question whether there is anything of substance differentiating us from the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ s age. Now that is ticklish one, but one that does not require too much examination, so obvious are our thin and transparently shallow selves, and emptier words. They knew everything about the law, and there are plenty among us who know all that there is to know about what scripture says. The issue is what happens after all of that studying and absorbing and learning, how much of a difference it makes; and how much of a difference we, the followers of Jesus, are making in the lives of others. Proclaiming and pretending and playing games with words have all risen to a strange state of virtue in today’s environment. The people leading the way in the secular world have become especially skilled in these ways that result in the blind leading the blind, and the cruel saying that they are taking care of the helpless. There is a big hole in those postures that we now love so much that there is refining of them to get better. Meanwhile, those who are short of a meal (or several) are still out there, and they are not riding any GDP or prosperity wave. We can offer to be their friends by becoming advocates for them, but please let us not even think about trying to fool them. Even the unlearned in our midst are not that limited. They may be poor in material things, and made poorer by the viciousness of their fellow man, but they are not poor in native wisdoms, or the peculiar brilliance that sparkles from a deep, abiding spirituality. To be clear, I would the last one to dispute the mathematics of our endowments. I cannot and will not argue with prospects of prosperity, or harbor ill-will against those already reaping great prosperity at this early stage. But I must be honest and courageous enough to point to those Guyanese-all those limping, hurting brothers and sisters left out and left to their own devices-and say that as we gloat about glittering numbers, let us not ignore them. Those without must not be left to become a bloodless, inhuman official statistic. The have nots, those counted out, the one or the other that the Samaritan traveler would have come to full stop, and extend a long, helping hand. It is that hand that comes when needed the most. From that same shining scriptural passage, I should be able to detect frauds and uncaring from the emptiness of their character, the hypocritical souls that they own. Which one of us cannot discern a pathological liar, a sinister citizen pretending at being best friend, even brethren? The pudding tastes the sweetest when it is made of genuine stuff. We have come a long way as a country, at least in the economics of global standing. The concern is how many have come along with us in this rising from the back of beyond into something that the world envies, and rushes towards.❖

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“I am devastated by what happened, they were just trying to have a good time,” Hwang Gyu-hyeon, 19, told Agence France-Presse Oct.31. She wept and struggled to speak clearly as she explained how the deaths of so many people her age had affected her. “I pray for the victims. I can’t believe this accident happened despite the signs that were clear beforehand. Nothing was done to prepare for this crowd,” she said. The government defended its policing plan of deploying 137 officers at the venue. “(The crush) was not a problem that could be solved by deploying police or firefighters in advance,” Interior Minister Lee Sang-min told a briefing. President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the location of the tragedy Oct. 31 and declared national mourning until Nov. 5. Entertainment events and concerts have been canceled and flags nationwide are flying at halfstaff. The Halloween party was the first to be organized after the nation lifted its COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and allowed public gatherings without masks.❖

November Monthly Intention:

We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.❖

Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments. Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen

Carmelite Sisters are available for counselling on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 12 noon and 1:00pm to 2:00 pm, at the Cathedral Presbytery. They are also available by appointment. Persons are encouraged to avail themselves of these se rv i ce s. Ki n dl y co n tact th e Cathedral parish office on tel. no. 226-4631 for details.