Apathy, the Greatest Enemy: Part 2

Some classify apathy as a disease, but I think it is merely a symptom of some disease (whether of physical or spiritual nature), or perhaps an indicator of drug use. In 1950, John Dos Passos wrote, "Apathy is one of the characteristic responses of any living organism when it is subjected to stimuli too intense or too complicated to cope with. The cure for apathy is comprehension."

This might explain why some people don't vote and why some have no interest in religion. They don’t comprehend the related facts.

Robert Hutchins summarized the concerns about political indifference when he claimed that the "death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment."

Dr. Gould said, “our civilization…will die when we no longer care…" Is there any doubt that what is said about the impending death of democracy is also true of Christianity? Of course it is.

The anatomy of apathy is interesting. We can recognize an apathetic person by the characteristics he exhibits. INDIFFERENCE is the ATTITUDE of apathy. When people become complacent and unconcerned with the needs of others, they have been afflicted with apathy. True Christians are not apathetic to the cause of Christ and the needs of people.

UNBELIEF is the BASIS of apathy. If you don't believe in a cause you don't care enough to get involved in helping promote it. Persons who truly believe in the cause of Christ are zealous toward the activities of his church. But those that don't truly believe, and who do not act in response to their faith, have an apathy problem. They don't really care about the Lord and what he has done, and so they have little or no interest in the activities associated with him and his. Jesus rebuked the sin of unbelief, associating it with "hardness of heart" (Mk 16:14). James dealt with the same problem (Jas 2:14-16). This text deals primarily with speaking but not doing--talking the talk but not walking the walk. But the root problem of those to whom the text is applicable is apathy.

INGRATITUDE is the FUEL of apathy. Apathy and ingratitude are married to each other; where you find one, you always find the other. Paul gives a list of sins that include unthankfulness (Rom. 1). If you are grateful for what God has done for you--making it possible to have the forgiveness of sins and hope of heaven--you will not be ungrateful.

INACTION is the BEHAVIOR of apathy. This is simple. If you do not care, you do not act. If you are ashamed of the gospel you will not engage in activities to promote it. If you don't believe in the gospel you will not put forth efforts to benefit from it or to promote it so others can benefit. If you feel no sincere zeal or passion and no real devotion to a cause, you will perform no action in the interests of that cause.

SILENCE is the LANGUAGE of apathy. If I am indifferent about the actions of an individual or group I will likely not say anything. For example, a Bible topic may come up among friends. One who is apathetic likely will not join in the conversation. On the other hand, one who has interest in what God says to man will seek to learn from others; and those who have learned, and care, will seek to share.

In contrast to apathy, Paul showed his concern when he said, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…" (2 Cor. 5:11). Do we speak the language of apathy by being silent when we should be speaking to promote Christ and his teachings? If so we need to follow Paul’s example and put our hearts into seeking to do and teach the will of God.

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