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Our #1 Threat
By Will McCabe
The title is often posed as a question to politicians, and we are given
answers such as “the national debt,” “global warming,” and “terrorism.”
What if I told you that these are all small concerns in comparison to
our biggest issue: apathy.
Here’s an example so I can show you what I mean. A woman is in need to
get across a river. The only one who is able to run her across is a
known criminal named Brutus, who often steals and attacks those who are
within his grasp.
Her friend, Rick, tells her not to go with him, but provides no other
alternative for her. She affirms that she will go across the river with
Brutus. As she walks up the side of the boat and gets in, Rick just
stands and watches her silently. After the boat is off the shore
several yards, Brutus immediately sets upon her and takes her purse and
valuables, then pushes her off the boat.
As crazy as this story is, who do you feel is to blame for the woman’s
predicament? You might initially think Brutus, but let’s look back for
a second. While Rick, her friend, told her not to go, he didn’t bother
trying to find another way for her to cross the river. He knew she was
going to ride with a known criminal, but instead of going with her to
try to protect her, he stands and watches everything transpire.
See, while Brutus may have committed the heinous physical attack, it
was Rick who allowed it to happen. Rick is just as much to blame as
Brutus. As Jesus put it: “If you are not with Me, you are against Me.”
When we see something bad transpire, do we try to stop it? If we see
injustice in the world, and we have the means to put an end to it, do
we not have to obligation to try?
Another great quote is from the summer blockbuster Captain America:
Civil War, in which Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man) explains to Tony
Stark (a.ka. Iron Man): “When you can do the things I can, and don’t,
and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you.”
Each of us individually and collectively has been given wondrous and
unique gifts. What’s the point in a gift if it isn’t used? One final
example is from Matthew 25:14-30, in which a master gives his three
servants talents (an amount of gold, although also works as a
play-on-words). While the first two use theirs to earn even more, the
third decides to bury his and returned it to his master once he
returned. Which do you think the master was upset with?
I feel so strongly about this issue because of being both a victim and
perpetrator of this threat, and I believe the same can be said for
everyone. Have you ever been picked on, bullied, or given a hard time
by someone, and when looking around for help, everyone looked away? Or
have you seen someone in need of help, and walked in the opposite
direction?
The popular “See something, say something” phrase is one which should
apply to everyday life, because if in the Judeo-Christian faith,
there’s a God who gave His Son to help us, then what makes us exempt
from helping our fellow man, regardless of race, belief, sex, or
lifestyle?
Let’s stand up against sitting on the sideline, take action
against inaction, and speak out against beings silent. Let’s care
before we lose the ability to care.
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