“‘I love humanity,’ he said, ‘but I wonder at myself. The more I love humanity in general, the less I love man in particular.’”
This line comes from The Brothers Karamazov written by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In Dostoyevsky’s day (the mid to late 1800s), many Russians became influenced by European progressive ideas that sought to improve the state of humanity. Unfortunately, in Dostoyevsky’s view, these ideas were better at romanticizing the concept of "humanity" than spurring people on toward action. A surgeon of the soul, Dostoyevsky foresaw the moral hollowness that would result from such thinking. Less than 40 years after his death, the Bolshevik Revolution completely changed the political, cultural, and spiritual landscape of Russia for the worse. What initially began as a movement to improve the lives of the working class ended up in the destruction of tens of thousands of churches, an authoritarian state, the gulag system, and numerous economic crises. When you love humanity in general, you may end up loving no one in particular.
As I look at our current political and cultural climate today, I see similar trends. Many people spend time thinking about a cause more than the needs of their own mother. We have been trained to believe that what is happening in the next town, state, country, and any other part of the world matters more than what is happening right under our noses. We are tempted to believe that if we could just fix “the system” we wouldn’t have to do as much work to fix things ourselves. Because, if we’re honest, it's easier to feel righteous for a cause than it is to offer someone help.
While things that happen in other places do have some importance, we are directly disobeying the command of Jesus to “love your neighbor as yourself” if we don’t focus as much, if not more, attention to the needs of those around us. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, not us. He calls His followers to serve each other in love—a practice that marks us as true disciples (John 13:35). The needs in your home are much more important than what is happening in Minnesota, Iran, Israel, or anywhere else.
This isn’t a call to abandon all efforts elsewhere outside the home or family. Obviously, as Christians, we are called to participate in the church, which is the greatest cause in the world that includes, but is not limited to, the home. Rather, my point is that if we do not see the immediate needs of those around us—be it our family, friends, or literal neighbors—and instead focus on the needs of people that we may never have any effect on, we are running a fool’s errand. To riff on Jesus’ words, what would it profit someone to save the whole world, yet lose their own home?
This week, put down the phone, turn off the computer, and try to think about the needs of someone around you. Then, go fulfill the command of Jesus.
Nick has been attending COTR since 2000. He is an associate pastor and heads up our discipleship ministry, Impact Academy. Nick and his wife, Sera, have two kittens, Gloria and Toffee, and a baby boy, Elliot. They enjoy coffee, walks, music, art, and Mexican food.
