The observation is often made that privilege comes with responsibility. Let’s also add that blessings come with obligations. When saying we are blessed with something, let’s pause to reflect on why we are able to say this in the first place. My reflection followed the news of a reality show pulled from Brazilian TV following widespread complaints. It featured a-day-in-the-life of billionaire housewives in that country of extreme poverty. These ladies’ scandalous ostentation grated on viewer’s sensitivity to the point of open revolt. The producers, who initially thought the socially irresponsible lifestyle was entertaining, succumbed to widespread opposition against these ladies’ disregard of poverty. When a protagonist arrogantly claimed, “I’m blessed with a wonderful life”, she set a high-water-mark of indifference to the essence of privilege. It’s easy for anyone to shirk his duty to uphold the rights of the under-privileged he encounters.
How often are blessings misinterpreted? How often does prosperity foster arrogance? How often does success lead to pride? It’s the twisted view of privilege that subverts the essence and purpose of personal blessings. No matter whether it is health, family, intelligence, education or wealth, everything under the sun is nothing but vanity. If it doesn’t foster introspection and service, we got it wrong. If it doesn’t encourage compassion and a desire for justice, we got it wrong. When blessings are kept selfishly, they tarnish our humanity by eroding true potential and restricting growth. Moving from the personal sphere to the global, there is sufficient food to feed everyone, but rich countries warehouse the superfluous; there are adequate resources for everybody to live comfortably, but witness the intolerable Rich-Poor divide; there is opportunity for everyone to work productively, but politics and corruption ensure poverty is perpetuated.
There are sufficient books to teach every child, but sadly decent schools are barred to most. Even good health has become a blessing for those who can afford insurance, while perhaps the next young Einstein chokes in a sweatshop. I believe Earth’s riches were distributed unevenly so that man might share them more equitably and human talents were bestowed unequally, so that man might deploy them more generously. With this comes the searing realization that every blessing is a generosity test – for as freely as we received, must we give! Every time we allow privilege to fly in the face of justice, an opportunity is lost and mankind fails its greatness. Seen in this light, the conviction emerges that people with greater blessings will be measured by a higher standard than others. Since blessings are a debt, let’s reflect on the obligations coupled with ours, because we are the rain that comes to transform and regenerate the land of need.
