THE SEVENTH STATION: Jesus Falls a Second Time

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

—John 8:7

There is a great temptation to ignore the poor of our world by assuming that their plight is of their own creation. Some may reason that poverty comes from laziness, ignorance or a failure to seize opportunities. But this is an easy way out. We assign blame to someone else to escape culpability. We distance ourselves from a situation we think is remote from our own. We block ourselves off from the real struggles, personal histories and present-day challenges of the individuals and communities that we encounter.

We see that someone has fallen, and we forget that we, too, can just as easily trip and find ourselves face-down in the dirt.

In Rwanda, we meet Odette, who, even before her daughter is born, began to plan for her child’s health. She knows how easily a child can fall into sickness, poor nutrition or worse. And she knows that what she wants for her daughter is more: opportunity to thrive and grow.

As we reflect on this story, we would do well to reflect on all mothers and children who so easily fall into poverty, hardship, impossible situations. What is our responsibility to these families? How do we uphold our commitment by ensuring that those who fall are helped back up and empowered to continue along?