What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?

What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy? March 27, 2017

“What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy?  — I don’t know and I don’t care.”— Mother Goose and Grimm

“I the devil, will always see to it that there are bad people. Your job, my dear Wormwood, is to provide me with the people who do not care.” — The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

I am finding that I’m slowly tuning out, turning off the world around me. The political world and leadership on all sides is simply bizarre. I don’t even know what to think.

The world order has no rhyme, no reason. It’s upside down. None of the sides are clear and the rationale without logic. As much as I would like to say I care about the world around me, my actions say otherwise.

I can longer engage in healthy debate, as I’ll be called a name or painted with a broad brush.  So rather than engage, I disengage.

I’m finding that retreat seems to be an irresistible option.

Push me to answer a question and I’m tempted to simply say, “I don’t care.”

With permission
With permission

The deep fibers in my body are starting to lean toward indifference. I feel it. Despite my verbal fervor for all things right and true, when push comes to shove, I fear that I’ll shirk from my duties, shrink from the hard truth, fade away in the bright light.

Apathy attacks my core, it destroys my good intentions, it muddies my motives. It derails my passion.

But Jesus had something to say about apathy — and it’s something he can’t stand. Either be hot. Or you can be cold. But dancing around, walking the fence, toeing the line, straddling both sides is like spit from the Savior.

Am I alone here?

 


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