Sunday Reflections

The readings today seem to speak about the In-crowd and the Out-crowd. This is not the In-crowd of Instagram, or the cool kids who wear the trendy shoes, or the billionaires who got rich through exploitation. On the contrary, the In-crowd who belong to Jesus seem to be the “little ones” who are abused, exploited and ignored in society.

Oxfam recently reported that the world’s five richest men have more than doubled their wealth since 2020, at a rate of US $14 million an hour! It is impossible to amass riches such as these without exploitation. Meanwhile, at least 5 billion people in the world became poorer. And what about our young people? There is mounting evidence that the use of social media harms the mental health of children and teens, leading to depression and even suicide. I suspect the owners and regulators of these networks are part of the Out-crowd.

In our second reading today, James points a finger at those who exploit the poor. “Listen! The wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out….” The rich, he tells us, will weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to them. They will not be among those whom Jesus welcomes into His Kingdom.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is even clearer in his condemnation of those who “put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me…”

The stumbling block could be abuse but also includes those who allow children to live in conditions of grinding poverty. They, like the rich men, will be treated harshly, Jesus says.

“Little ones” might also refer to those who are marginalized and excluded in society. Luring international students to Canada with promises of good jobs can be exploitation. They pay high tuition fees to keep our colleges afloat, but often end up working part-time at menial jobs because the government keeps changing the rules about work permits. The Indigenous people of Grassy Narrows whose water has been contaminated with mercury poisoning for 50 years are still fighting to end the exploitation of their territories. And the working poor who pay high rents to investors are also exploited.

We may not be responsible for any of these problems. But we have an obligation to open our eyes to see the marginalized in our society, and open our hearts to do something about it. We can write a letter to our elected officials. We can make a donation to groups that work to change unjust conditions in our world. We can also smile and welcome newcomers to our neighbourhoods and churches. Many colleges and universities have programs that match international students with older citizens who have an extra bedroom to rent. The student gets a safe, affordable place to stay and the senior gets companionship and some help around the house.

We need to chose whether we are a stumbling block or the one who offers a cup of water. Doing nothing is not an option.