Is empathy left for only the dead?

Some time back I was traveling in one of our Awakula enume buses from Gayaza to town. Seated next to me was a woman probably in her mid-30’s and a man in his early 40’s. As the bus set off to Kampala, the man immediately started dozing. He seemed very tired and worn out and his only need was a shoulder to lean on and take a nap.

Unfortunately, he was comfortable leaning on the lady passenger’s shoulder a thing she detested. She pushed him hard that he almost hit the window. Awakened from his slumber, he looked at her with pleading eyes but she cared less. Next thing I heard was a long msteeewwww someone would think she was trying to remove meat from her front teeth using her tongue.

I thought that was her until when I boarded a taxi from town to Nansana and the same thing happened. This time it happened to a young primary school boy who was dozing in a back seat. Luckily enough, he wasn’t jeered at because as soon his neighbor pushed him, he woke up and immediately alighted because he had reached his destination.

Today, people cease to sympathize with others. Humanity is at its worst. You find a social media post of RIP with a million shares and likes and a save so and so campaign with 4 likes and two shares.

What went wrong?

Relatives will never hold meetings for your surgery but when you die, they are the first people to tell the world about your goodness and how everyone is going to miss you, they go as far as shedding crocodile tears on your demise, and they will find that 40k to transport your body that to spare 20k to help you meet your medical bills.

Recently, I got heartbroken after witnessing impunity at a burial ceremony. A close relative to the deceased while reading his biography disclosed

‘Moses (not real name) had been sick for 8 months. It is very absurd that none of the people he spent his life toiling for visited or paid his hospital bills. This man who spent his entire life reaching out to others was forgotten and abandoned by his own.’

‘May be they are all broke and ashamed’ I thought to my self

However, later while they were introducing his children, one man came from the crowd, snatched the MIC from the MC and said;

‘Let us give an opportunity to the deceased’s  children from South Africa to come give a word or two and express their condolences for we have to respect their expensive tickets’

A group of three fine men and two women came up front, introduced themselves as sons and daughters of the deceased and even had the audacity to announce their contribution for burial expenses which amounted to USD$1000 yet the deceased only needed about USD$ for medical bills.

I could not help but wonder about this kind of stupidity and this kept nudging me to ask ‘what really went wrong!’

Is it because religious leaders today are more focused on change in power than change in hearts? Or it is because people’s hearts are tired and ‘for God and my stomach is the new motto’?

Well, whatever it is, 1 John 3:17 says

‘But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

For a fact that we believe in different callings, Quran 2:178 emphasizes on sympathizing with each other and helping out where necessary. ‘Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the last day, in the angels, the scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travelers and beggars and to deliberate those in debt and bondage; those who keep up the prayers and pay the prescribed alms; who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity and times of danger. These are the ones who are true and it is they who are aware of God.’

THE Prophet Muhammed described a SMILE as charity and we know a smile can take away grief and anxiety.

Away from spirituality, wouldn’t you feel good if a stranger smiled at you like a long lost best friend, will you not feel empowered if someone succeeded after you made way for them?

Well, I don’t really know what is happening to the world. Like me, analyze these situations and ask

What really went wrong?

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