How often do we simply look away?
We hear of some tragedy that has occured, or some hardship that has befallen others, and our first inclination is to change the channel.
I know I’m guilty. It’s just too hard to comprehend sometimes, and the problems seem so much bigger than anything we might individually tackle. So we elect to turn away, excusing ourselves based on the sheer scope of the problem.
But what are we actually charged to do? What is the right answer?
What is modeled for us in Acts 3 by Peter and John when they come across a beggar provides a clue, and perhaps even a perscription.
“Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.””
First they see the beggar. Not merely glance past, but gaze upon him and acknowledge him as human. When faced with someone society had marginalized, the disciples addressed him straight on.
“Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!””
Having recognized him, they next took action. They could not solve everything for him, but gave what they had. In their case it was something miraculous, but I think the tenet holds true for us all. For we are likewise called to both recognize and respond to those in need.
Perhaps the miracle most relevant to us today was not that a beggar stood, but that two disciples stopped. In a world that hurries past suffering, holiness often begins in hesitation. Peter and John did not have silver or gold, yet they offered something increasingly rare: attention.
Maybe that’s the starting point for us. To pause and truly see. Not to fix every injustice or heal every wound, but to refuse indifference. To see the person in front of us and to offer what we have, however small.