Great and Holy Lent has begun with it’s usual intensity. Sunday night we shared in the Tradition of Forgiveness Vespers where we prostrate before one another and ask forgiveness for sins both voluntary and involuntary. All this week we sing the Great Cannon of Saint Andrew that guides our focus back to our need for repentance and the great mercy and unfathomable love of our LORD. And in the midst of all of this I keep thinking back to two Sundays ago, the Sunday of the Final Judgement.

The Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Final Judgement:

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.

And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. Matthew 25:31-46

The thing that keeps creeping into the back of my brain, is how often we as Christians dress like sheep but act like goats. We talk about being compassionate and caring for the sick and the poor, but often pass the responsibility off to other government or private social agencies. It’s almost as though the attitude is, “I gave at the office. (literally or through taxes) I’ve done my part.”

Is this enough? That is a really tough question. On one hand people are busy and so they do what they can, give money and let someone else worry about it. On the other hand, people are lazy and they do what is easiest, give money and let someone else worry about it. It seems that Christians have either become lazy or calloused in regards to this issue and have shed any personal responsibility in loving others in this way.

I also think that the church as a whole has failed in this area. Failed, not because they aren’t trying, but because there is no coordinated effort. We have this little baptist church over here running a soup kitchen, and this Methodist church on the other side of town running a low/no cost daycare but they are all operating independently so they can not be as effective as is needed.

This is a difficult issue for me to ponder. Because I am sure that I fall into both the lazy and callous camps depending on the day. May God forgive my slothfulness and pride, and may I learn all the more how to love others well.