Lead with radical boldness

If you have ever seen a post about a charity, GoFundMe or anything in regards to donating money and you have scrolled by with the thought “someone else will help”, this gospel is for you.

Today, Jesus tells a story about two men: one dressed in designer robes feasting like every day is a Michelin-star buffet, and another man-Lazarus-not covered in robes, but sores, lying at the rich man’s gate hoping for just a few little crumbs. Meanwhile, dogs are giving him more attention than people. As an obsessive dog lover, myself, this is not the type of animal attention I would even want. This image is heartbreaking and brutal. What’s even more heartbreaking is the rich man’s reaction. Silence. He doesn’t kick Lazarus out; he just ignores him-and sometimes that is even worse. Have you ever felt or been ignored? It’s a horrific feeling and a horrible spot to be in. Indifference is one of the most dangerous sins (in my opinion) because it lets injustice thrive without lifting a finger.

When both men die, there is a great reversal: Lazarus is comforted in heaven; the rich man is tormented in flames. Plot twist: now the rich man wants to talk, he wants water, he wants help and he wants someone to warn his brothers. But the answer from Abraham is clear: “they have already been told. The message is there, they just didn’t want to hear it.”

Sound familiar???

We live in a world where billionaires build rockets while people sleep on sidewalks. Where a new phone will get more attention than a hungry neighbor. Dare I even comment on when Taylor Swift got engaged? The internet literally almost crashed. It is much easier to subscribe to 12 streaming services than donate to one food pantry. We don’t have ill will or hate towards the poor, we just don’t see them.

Plot twist again. There is good news! Jesus is ALWAYS about good news. It’s not too late. It is never too late. Each day we wake up we have another day to look around, to see the “Lazaruses” at our gates, at the border, in our cities, schools, communities and pews. We do not have to be billionaires to make a difference. Charity is not about always writing a check (but if you can that is amazing too). It’s about noticing, caring, showing up, sharing what we have and seeing others as authentic human beings created by God, not just problems to be ignored.

So, this week’s challenge calls us to lead with radical boldness. Kindness, eye contact, a donation (of any amount), a sandwich, an invitation, a shift in how we see and view the world.  

Let us not wait until we are on the other side of the great divide wishing we had done more. Let us do it now. Let us live in the now. As Luke’s Gospel reminds us on this 26 Sunday in Ordinary time with a little holy humor and a lot of truth you can’t take your purple robes with you, but you can leave behind a legacy of love to ripple throughout the world.

May God bless you all! 

Today's readings