Elie Wiesel was a Romanian-born American writer, political activist, and Holocaust survivor, he said: “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.”
One of the dangers in our modern fast paced world is that our brains are bombarded with vast amounts of information and data. We receive news about issues from around the world: natural disasters and football results, murder and videos of performing cats. We struggle to differentiate between the vital and the humorous.
I personally can become a great spectator, one who watches and expresses an opinion; I have never missed a penalty from the comfort of my armchair. Yet as quickly as the information comes it is replaced by more and more, faster and faster. I may have been moved the first time I heard and saw the bad news but I get de-sensitised with every viewing.
I have often felt challenged by the quote attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” I believe this is why many around the world have applauded the actions of Greta Thunberg, the 17 year old Swedish school girl who misses school on “Fridays for future’ and as she travels the world to lecture leaders due to her concern for the environment.
Malachi was a man, approx 2,500 years ago, who also brought a message - “you are half-hearted and making a mess of life!” His listeners were not actively doing wrong but they were also not passionately doing what was right. The disappointments of life had worn them down to become spectators in a game they should have been playing.
The best thing about Malachi’s message, which he believed was from God, is that before the hearers were expected to change their behaviour, God said, “I Love You.” Redeemer church is going to spend the next 6 weeks looking at the message of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.
Join us at the University of West London, where we aim to throw off indifference and live a life that counts for God!
