Ever since I can remember, there’s been a trend for friends and family members to find various viewpoints in life/politics/religion/worldview and spar with each other to prove their point.
“How could you not be enraged at this tragedy”
“How could you stand behind this dictator?”
“Why aren’t you condeming genocide?”
Spin the dial to find your argument. Oftentimes, these questions can be distilled down to one thing; a hope to discover the moral ground of the other, as they relate to tragedy.
If I were walking outside and came across a 3-month infant rolling around in the dirt, I’d be a pretty terrible person if I continued my walk. Why?
Because I could have done something about it…and chose not to.
If I were to walk right past that child and not bat an eye, a lot of people would think that I’m a terrible person – including myself…because I could have done something about it.
It costs $30 to feed a starving child in Africa for one year.
It costs $60 at most nail salons to get a manicure, a men’s haircut, or even pair of shoes.
Somebody would be a monster to walk by a 3-month infant on the ground. Yet, they get loyalty reward points when they shop at their favorite place; spending double the money it takes to feed a child.
If a pair of shoes cost $300, should we hold the wearer of them in contempt for choosing not to feed ten children for a year, just as we’d hold contempt for the person walking by the stranded infant?
These are pretty important questions to ask, as well as ponder the next time you see a startling news headline.
No Comments