Last Sunday Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, the glorious resurrection of the Son of God. These religious events do not mean much to many people, but even the most detached cannot escape the solemnity of this season. Some cannot help even a brief reflection on their own lives and whether they are fulfilling their purpose as they perceive it.

This brings me to the spirit of volunteerism. Though not dead, I believe it is fair to say that there has been a diminution of this spirit, of the willingness of people to go the extra mile to help their fellow men. In a sense it is understandable why this is so. The truth is that around the world people’s economic circumstances have become increasingly hard. Life for many in poorer countries have become harsh and brutish. Natural disasters and man-made policies are making it harder for them to eke out survival in an increasingly inhospitable world.

This is why the Donald Trump Administration’s evisceration of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is such a horrific development. The agency, since its inception, did save lives around the world. Its assistance to people in poorer countries was not just a demonstration of the efficacy of American soft power but was sorely needed to help people at critical junctures of their lives. And it did help. Surely, a relook at the mechanism of how help was given with a view to cauterise waste and even fraud was in order, but the chainsaw-like approach was not necessary.

The net result of all this is that those who are directly affected by this development will get sicker and die. The absence of projects to alleviate poverty will dramatically increase the burdens of the recipients.

The added burden of world tariffs can only make the situation worse. It certainly will affect people’s ability to give of their time, talent, and money voluntarily. Tariffs may be one nail in the coffin of a dying volunteerism. It is still early to tell, but just as people are cutting back on their shopping habits because of perceived hardships to come, so will they on the extent to which they help other people voluntarily. It is an understandable human behaviour that in times of hardship people will generally re-examine their ability to do charitable deeds. They will reduce the amount they give, which will force charitable organisations to cut back on their spending on staff, food, and shelter for those who need it most. Self-preservation floats to the top of many people’s concerns.

I do not believe that the spirit of volunteerism, of being charitable to thy neighbour will ever die. There is something innate in every human being to reach out a helping hand to those in need. It is a wonderfully liberating feeling when you see lives changed for the better because of a project to which you lent your time, talent, and money in a non-exploitative way. I say non-exploitive because as Jesus warned some do their charitable deeds to be seen by others. In other words, their giving is not genuine and comes with strings attached. They exploit a situation for their own good and not so much because they want a good outcome for the intended beneficiary.

Easter reminds us once again of the self-giving love of God, which continues to be the centrepiece of any project of discipleship. Sadly, for various reasons, some of which are mentioned above, many have withdrawn their hand. My hope is that there will be a resurrection, a true revival of a spirit of giving in the Christian community. If we lose this, we lose the essence of what makes us the community that exists for others. Do whatever you can to the glory of God.

Death of Pope Francis

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, has died at the age of 88. In his 12-year reign as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis tried to steer the church away from a traditionalist approach to Christian ministry. He abhorred the bureaucratic nature of the church and its tendency towards exclusivism born out of centuries of conservative thinking. He indulged bold initiatives, such as his attitude towards the gay and transgender communities, the expansion of appointment of prelates to leadership positions outside of traditionally defined territories, and showed great interest in steering the church away from capitalistic notions of governance to embrace the poor and the marginalised in the society.

He was soon to realise that these initiatives did not comport with the thinking of those who wanted the status quo to remain as he had found it. His perceived anti-clericalism often put him in tension with sections of the church. He will be well remembered for the number of windows he was able to open to let fresh air into an otherwise fossilised magisterial culture.

The poor and the oppressed for whom he spoke will long remember him. His humble service mirrored the mind of Christ. One hopes that the windows he opened will not be closed and the person who succeeds him will open even more windows. May his soul find its rest in God’s peace.

Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; The Self-esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He hosts a podcast — Mango Tree Dialogues — on his YouTube channel. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or stead6655@aol.com.