Responding to the Sin of Indifference
Return to Our 2025 Lenten Pilgrimage of Hope
“The opposite of love is not hate; it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness; it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy; it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death; it’s indifference.”
Elie Wiesel
“What is indifference? Etymologically, the word means ‘no difference.’ A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment, cruelty and compassion, good and evil.” –Elie Wiesel
Is indifference really a sin? Let us consider God’s message of love — be kind and tenderhearted towards one another, love one another fervently, listen and bear with one another, speak the truth in love, forgive as we have been forgiven, welcome the stranger, share our bread with the hungry. To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.
“You are not obligated to complete the work but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) 2:16
Let Us Pray
God of Mercy, in the depths of my heart, I confess to the temptation of indifference. I weep with its weight and the paralyzing guilt it brings. Forgive me for turning away from the marginalized and falling into silent complicity that comes from fear and fatigue, from numbness that had dulled my compassion. Strengthen me, to find the courage to discern what is mine to do. Stir within me a desire to be a voice for the voiceless, to stand with those on the margins, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly as your child. Amen
Reflection Questions
- Why is there a growing “virus of indifference” in our world today? What might the solution be?
- Am I suffering from a virus of indifference or a healthy need to protect my own emotional well-being? What do I need to move from indifference to empathy?
Hope In Action
The antidote to the virus of indifference is caring for the common good. Compassion requires self-awareness, social awareness, and energy, supported by prayer and community. Start by expressing gratitude for your blessings. Face the reality that we live in a culture of power and privilege. Examine our complicity. Then, discern “what is ours to do” to combat indifference in ourselves and our world.