Being idealistic has brought me lots of headache. It makes me see more clearly than many others how almost everybody live for themselves. In the world today, nobody wants to hear about alms giving, good works, trust in God, prayers, fasting etc because all these entails sacrifices and leaving one's comfortable zone. Many question what they get in return of the "goodness" they do. They want recognition and applause. Gone are the days when the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.
Doing good deeds require us to act to perfection our daily duties and perfection of charity toward others. Alas, it is difficult and painful for many to fulfill. If we consider the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we know it is not said explicitly that the rich man is wicked and heartless. All we know is that he was rich and Lazarus was poor. Perhaps the rich man had a family, probably he was a good father, husband and son. Maybe he went to the synagogue every week and was an outstanding member of society. What is more, we have no reason to assume that the rich man did not help the poor. He may have donated to a charity organisation, he may have tithed. We really don't know but what we do know is that whatever else the rich man did in his life, he did not help Lazarus when he was in need and that lead to his eternal damnation. This one sin in which he rejected a single poor person cries out to Heaven. When even a single person who begs from us remain poor, the rich will hurl into hell.
Has anything change in 2000 years? Perhaps the rich man ignored Lazarus but at least he allowed him to sit and beg. In our world today, the presence of a beggar would most likely to lead us to call the police and have him taken away. If we see a fundraiser, we will probably walk the other way, reject him and even condemn him for being a nuisance. If the rich man had ignored the cry of Lazarus, we are more worst off than the rich man for we live in a society which systemically suffocates the poor's cry. When will we truly understand what Jesus really meant when he said "Blessed are you poor but woe to you who are rich". Without alms giving, how shall we ever inherit life everlasting? sigh......
