"Once upon a time there was a town that was built just beyond the bend of a large river. One day some of the children from the town were playing beside the river when they noticed three bodies floating in the water. They ran for help and the townsfolk quickly pulled the bodies out of the river.
"One body was dead so they buried it. One was alive, but quite ill, so they put that person into the hospital. The third turned out to be a healthy child, who they then placed with a family who cared for it and who took it to school.
"From that day on, every day a number of bodies came floating down the river, every day, the good people of the town would pull them out and tend to them - taking the sick to the hospital, placing the children with families, and burying those who were dead.
"This went on for years; each day brought a quota of bodies, and the townsfolk not only came to expect a number of bodies each day but also worked at developing more elaborate systems for picking them out of the river and tending to them. Some of the townsfolk became quite generous in tending to these bodies and a few extraordinary ones even gave up their jobs so that they could tend to this concern full-time. And the town itself felt a certain healthy pride in its generosity.
"However, during all those years and despite all that generosity and effort, nobody thought to go up the river, beyond the bend that hid from their sight what was above them, and find out why, daily, those bodies came floating down the river."
I think the point of this parable is pretty clear: it is to point out the difference between private charity and social justice.
Private charity responds to the homeless, hurt, wounded and hopeless among us, but doesn't try to get to the causes and reasons for why they are there. Social justice on the other hand tries to travel up the river and change the causes and reasons that created the homeless, hurt, wounded and helpless.
The God of compassion asks only one thing of us, that we "act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God" (Micah 6:8).
As we begin this new year of 2013 may we as believers in the God of compassion be committed to and actively involved in both private charity and social justice.
Peace for real,
Dennis
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Wow! I truly enjoyed reading this parable. I know it was the Wisdom of God who inspired you to share. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I would like you to write now the same story differentiating Social Justice in left politic terms vs Catholic Social Justice. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI believe it was St. Jerome who wrote something to the effect of we can not take credit for the acts of charity performed that are necessitated by the injustices that we do nothing to change. There are plenty of injustices for Catholics of all persuasions to take on. Who is not proud of all the charitable work we have done through the Church? I pray for the day we can be just as proud of our legacy in battling injustice.
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