Indifference: Evil with An Innocent Face
“Do not fear your enemies. The worst they can do is kill you. Do not fear friends. At worst, they may betray you. Fear those who do not care; they neither kill nor betray, but betrayal and murder exist because of their silent consent” (Bruno Jasienski). “Those who don’t care” show a lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. Indifference or apathy is a conscious choice to do nothing or say nothing when things are not right. It is a refusal to act in the face of injustice or need.
Indifference is more hurtful than hate; it’s evil with an innocent face. “Indifference is the world’s worst poison” (Kofi Annan, Nobel peace laureate and former UN Secretary General). “Indifference is the sign of sickness, a sickness of the soul more contagious than any other” (Elie Wiesel, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor). Similarly, George Bernard Shaw, a recipient of Nobel prize for literature, added this: “The worst sin against our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That’s the essence of inhumanity.” And Albert Einstein, the famed Nobel scientist, stated: “The world is a dangerous place, not [just] because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
Indeed, the most dangerous people are those who don’t care. Those who choose to remain silent when they should speak out or do something. Because of their indifference or apathy, many innocent people have suffered injustice and even death. Examples of the high cost of indifference include the holocaust against the Jews, the genocide against the Tutsis of Rwanda, and, more recently, the persecution, ethnic cleansing, and genocide against the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar.
Thus, apart from the active perpetrators of human atrocities and injustices, the nameless criminals are the passive actors: Those of us who remain silent, when when our actions and voices can make a difference. We who are spineless when we’re expected to stand up and be counted; we who play it safe, by going along without much protest; and we who choose the path of noninvolvement or neutrality. But as Desmond Tutu reminds us, “If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” To be neutral in situations of injustice is to be complicit in those acts of injustice.
The greatest problem in all our interactions or relationships—whether with others or with God—is not that we’re too hot or too cold, but rather that we’re lukewarm. Lukewarmness (another description for apathy or indifference) is the one sin that makes God Himself want to throw up (cf. Revelation 3:15-16).
Are you tempted to shrug your shoulders to a need or an injustice? Are you saying dismissively, “It’s none of my business” or “I don’t have the time or the means to do anything about it”? From Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan we learn that the antidote to the indifference of the priest and the Levite is the caring actions of the Samaritan. Those who make a difference in the world are not indifferent. Rather, they show concern; they care; they do what they can. They display empathy, not apathy (Luke 10:30-37; cf. Isaiah 59:9-15).—Samuel Koranteng-Pipim.
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SAMUEL KORANTENG-PIPIM,PH.D. , is a US-based Ghanaian author, inspirational speaker, leadership trainer, and an advocate for youth empowerment. He was trained in engineering and systematic theology, and has authored more than twenty books. They include his bestselling works Hope Through the Dark, Six More Chances, Healed Wounds but Ugly Scars, and Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions. Dr. Pipim currently directs two Centers for Leadership Development known as EAGLES (Empowerment & Advisory Group for Leadership, Excellence, & Service) and ANANSE (African Network & Advisory for Needed Services & Excellence). www.EAGLESonline.org. He also serves as a special consultant on Bible projects for Remnant Publications. 