The Consequences of Indifference: Listening to the Cry of the Poor

September 24, 2024 - Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

We hear ten wise sayings in today's excerpts from the Book of Proverbs. Each saying is two lines long and shares with us insightful thoughts rooted in the experience of ancient people. Most of these sayings contrast the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, but we also have a saying about a king and advice on proper living.

While reading and meditating on the Book of Proverbs, it is advisable to go slowly, read a small portion, and choose those sayings that somehow speak to our hearts. From today's sayings, let me choose the last one: "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard" (Prov. 21:13). It is worth reflecting on this statement. The author may have come up with it based on observation or experience, but he could also have composed it to warn us against indifference and lack of compassion.

It is said that the cause of the French Revolution was the widespread neglect of the needs and cries of the impoverished masses by the ruling elite. When the revolution came, the monarchy's calls for help were ignored by the very people they had long neglected. Another example that proves the point made by our saying is the global financial crisis of 2007-2008. Experts tell us that the crisis was generated by the lending practices of financial institutions that left many ordinary people in debt, unable to pay back what they owed, leading to poverty. When the crisis hit, those financial institutions found themselves in need, but there was no one to bail them out.

In the New Testament, we have the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which can also be seen through the lens of our saying. The rich man shut his ears and eyes to the cry of poor Lazarus, and when he found himself in dire need and called Abraham for help, no help was given to him. The one who failed to show mercy was not given mercy either (see Luke 16:19-31).

Charles Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol" is a beautiful and powerful meditation on the saying "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard" (Prov. 21:13). Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old man who shuts his heart and ears to the needs of the poor. Visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, he is shown the consequences of his actions. In a vision of the future, Scrooge sees himself dying alone and unloved, with no one to mourn him or heed his cries. That vision leads to his conversion. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge becomes generous and caring, ensuring that he does not meet the fate described in Proverbs 21:13.

And that is the point the saying wants to make. To avoid the fate of the French monarchy, the financial institutions of the 2007-2008 crisis, and the rich man from Jesus' parable, we need to heed the warning encapsulated in our saying. Because the opposite is also true: He who opens his ear to the cry of the poor will himself be heard when he calls.