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{"id":509,"date":"2010-07-14T09:39:57","date_gmt":"2010-07-14T15:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/raincitypastor.wordpress.com\/?p=509"},"modified":"2010-07-14T09:39:57","modified_gmt":"2010-07-14T15:39:57","slug":"humanity-or-the-person-next-to-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/07\/14\/humanity-or-the-person-next-to-me\/","title":{"rendered":"“humanity”…or the person next to me?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u201cThe more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Fyoder Dostoevsky<\/p>\n

I\u2019m reading some Russian classics this summer, and was recently reminded of this quote, one of my favorites. \u00a0Our friend Fyoder has put his finger on a great deception. \u00a0Many of us have romantic notions about our love for humanity. \u00a0We grieve over what we see in the world \u2013 Palestinians and Israelis in conflict, earthquake victims remaining homeless in Haiti, families suffering great loss because of an oil spill, soldiers traumatized by the horrors of war. \u00a0All of it is tragic, and our hearts are full of sympathy and deep emotion, when we think of the tragic condition of humanity.<\/p>\n

This kind of sentimentalism, though, is deceptive. \u00a0It can trick us into thinking that we really care, but the real care, if we consider the scriptures carefully, is only manifested to the extent that we manifest compassion. \u00a0The word means, \u201cto suffer with\u201d and throughout the Bible the message is the same: until we identify with the downtrodden through action and solidarity, our light remains hidden. \u00a0Here\u2019s how Isaiah puts it:<\/p>\n

\u201cIs\u00a0this\u00a0not the\u00a0fast\u00a0which I\u00a0choose, To <\/em><\/a>loosen\u00a0the\u00a0bonds\u00a0of\u00a0wickedness, To\u00a0undo\u00a0the\u00a0bands\u00a0of the\u00a0yoke, And to <\/em><\/a>let\u00a0the\u00a0oppressed\u00a0gofree\u00a0And <\/em><\/a>break\u00a0every\u00a0yoke? \u00a0Is it not to <\/em><\/a>divide\u00a0your\u00a0bread <\/em><\/a>with the\u00a0hungry\u00a0And <\/em><\/a>bring\u00a0thehomeless\u00a0poor\u00a0into the\u00a0house;\u00a0When\u00a0you\u00a0see\u00a0the <\/em><\/a>naked, to\u00a0cover\u00a0him; And not to <\/em><\/a>hide\u00a0yourself from your own\u00a0flesh? Then\u00a0your <\/em><\/a>light\u00a0will\u00a0break\u00a0out like the\u00a0dawn, And your <\/em><\/a>recovery\u00a0will speedily\u00a0spring\u00a0forth; And your <\/em><\/a>righteousness\u00a0will\u00a0go\u00a0before\u00a0you; The\u00a0glory\u00a0of the <\/em><\/a>LORD\u00a0will be your\u00a0rear\u00a0guard. Then\u00a0you will <\/em><\/a>call, and the\u00a0LORD\u00a0will\u00a0answer\u201d<\/em> Isaiah 58:6-9<\/p>\n

Some observations:<\/p>\n

1. Action, not sympathy and sentiment, is our calling.<\/strong> Dostoevsky\u2019s point is that it\u2019s easy to confuse sentiment when we listen to NPR, with real action. \u00a0But sentiment is to action, what watching sport is to playing it. \u00a0Watching the world cup while wearing a soccer jersey makes me feel athletic, even as I sit and stuff my face with chips as I \u00a0critique the passes, the officiating, and the annoying incessant horns. \u00a0In truth, I can\u2019t play soccer at all. \u00a0The popularity of sport, though, resides our vicarious identification.<\/p>\n

2. Our light will only shine to the extent that we respond to the needs around us.<\/strong> This is the overwhelming declaration of what it means to be the people of God. \u00a0It\u2019s taught in Genesis 12, where we\u2019re blessed to be a blessing. \u00a0It\u2019s reiterated throughout the prophets, including this clear passage in Isaiah 58. \u00a0Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 5 when he calls us the \u201clight of the world.\u201d \u00a0James says that true religion resides precisely in this realm of showing demonstrable love towards others.<\/p>\n

3. Isaiah declares, counter-intuitively, that our care of \u201cthe least of these\u201d will result, not in their recovery, but in our own<\/strong>. \u00a0God is making it clear that making the justice and generosity of God visible in this world isn\u2019t optional. \u00a0We won\u2019t be able to recover our fullest humanness until we\u2019re people who are pouring out blessing, and this only happens by making space in our lives for those with visible needs.<\/p>\n

When we encounter poverty and injustice, we might feel sentimental, and comfort ourselves into believing that our emotions mean we care. \u00a0But the gap between sentimentalism and action is a grand canyon, and it\u2019s only on the action side of that canyon that light is shining, and our own transformation is occurring.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"