“In this globalized world,” he said, “we have fallen into globalized indifference. In his homily for Mass that day, Pope Francis warned against a “culture of comfort” that “makes us insensitive to the cries of other people, makes us live in soap bubbles which, however lovely, are insubstantial they offer a fleeting and empty illusion which results in indifference to others.” Many times seeking an escape from violence or poor living conditions, the migrants pack onto overcrowded boats and sail under dangerous conditions, with many dying along the way. Last summer Pope Francis made a July 8 visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is the destination of African emigrants, many of whom are Muslim, who wish to come to Europe. It’s as if they refuse to stop and look further, like they don’t want to know who these people are, or see their suffering. Some, like the man who walks past his wife and the one who walks by his cousin, almost seem to recognize their relative and start to look at the person a bit closer, as if something seems familiar, before promptly looking away and continuing to walk forward. The reactions of those in the video who walk past their “homeless” relatives are an important key to understanding where we as a society stand in the face of the suffering of others. What these people feel as they watch their loved ones walk by without even the slightest bit of acknowledgement is in fact the daily reality for most homeless, who experience this indifference not just from one individual, but from each person who walks by they have become accustomed to being invisible. The images of the people dressed up in shaggy, dirty clothes being walked past by their relatives without a second glance is a perfect expression of what happens on a day-to-day basis. This video makes me want to run out onto the street and hug every homeless person I meet.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |