Mind the gap!
Today’s Gospel contains a message that should give us a jolt. We have an account of the rich man, who during his life clearly enjoyed all the good things that could possibly come his way. His garments were fine, befitting a man who enjoyed not only material wealth, but status too. There is a gulf between the rich man and Lazarus, the man who was sick and poor, who was ever present to the rich man at his gate, yet whose existence the rich man did not acknowledge
Why is there this gulf in Hades? Because the rich man set it up! It is caused by his lack of concern for Lazarus while he was alive. Indeed, the first time we see any sign of concern for others from the rich man, it is too late. All too easily, we can slip into a kind of narcissism, an excessive interest in ourselves to the exclusion of others. The truth is that we cannot be human in the fullest sense without our concern for others. Relating to others is an essential part of us, one that needs constant cultivation lest we create gulfs just like the one between the rich man and Lazarus. An authentic, profound, Christ-centred prayer is an important part of identifying and eliminating such gulfs in our own lives. Then we may open our eyes to the needs of those around us, and enter into relationship with them.
These gulfs can exist not only between us and people like Lazarus, but also much closer to home. We must constantly ask for the grace to be able to treat others we live and work with as people made in the image and likeness of God. Only then can we be attentive to their needs and concerns. We should also remember that there are many different kinds of riches in life: although we might not have millions in the bank, we may still be healthy, we may be loved and cared for by others, we may have the luxury of time for leisure, and so on. All these good things left unchecked can turn into gulfs. We are called not only to be generous with our money, but to examine the ways in which we might be called to give more of ourselves to others, and in so doing become more fully human, conformed to the image of Christ, who is the most profound expression of God’s self-giving.
