The heat it’s killing me!” you grumble from your airconditioned room, and then the doorbell rings. You open the door, and see your garbage collector or maid or driver or maybe the watchman, “What?” you ask angrily as the blast of hot air hits you.
You look at their dishevelled face, unkempt hair and bleary eyes, not realising that in this heat, as you slept in your comfortable room last night, they in their shanties, with a tin roof, no passage for cool air to come in, and with children crying to keep them awake, had not slept a wink. “What?” you snarl again, irritated, as the first hot air you have felt that day greets you.
Jesus tells a story about a rich man and a poor man, ‘At one time, there was a rich man who wore very expensive clothes. This rich man ate big meals every day. 20 There was also a poor man called Lazarus. He had sores all over his body. He lay outside the gate of the rich man. 21 He was very hungry. He wanted to eat the bits of food that the rich man threw away. Even the dogs came and they tasted the sores on his body. 22 Then Lazarus died and God’s angels carried him away. They put him at the side of Abraham in heaven. The rich man then also died and his family buried him in the ground. 23 He went to Hades, the place for dead people. He was in a lot of pain there. He saw Abraham far away in heaven. He also saw Lazarus at Abraham’s side. 24 So he shouted out, “Father Abraham, please be kind to me. Please send Lazarus here to help me. I am in great pain because I am in a fire that burns me. Let him put his finger into some water. Then he can use the water to make my mouth cool.”
25 Abraham replied, “My child, remember the time when you were alive on earth. Remember what happened then. You had many good things, and Lazarus had many bad things. Now I am taking care of Lazarus, and you are in pain.
That’s a warning for all of us, who do not understand what the poor go through! In this terribly hot season, when our country is going through unbearable heat, it’s understanding and kind words that’s going to help.
My wife has told our driver to take our car to a cool place and nap during the time we don’t need him. A very small gesture of understanding, but I’ve seen his gratefulness for that small act.
Let us with kindness, and compassion, look at the watchman, our maid, driver and all those who are suffering and help them with small gestures.
Small acts that will help relieve a little of their misery…!
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