Generosity again shone bright this holiday season, as it does whenever appeals for help are made. Still, if we were to take a moment to look deeper within, a measure of hypocrisy is likely to be detected.
We tend to turn to the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present to allay our guilty conscience and convince ourselves we did our duty towards the needy and less fortunate, thus absolving ourselves of our sins.
But the Ghost of Christmas Future will make us realise how self-centred and selfish we can be. And that goes beyond giving alms, even if regularly, to the poor, the sick, the homeless and the suffering.
Beyond the wise advice of the Dickensian masterpiece, our national anthem, first performed 100 years ago, asks the Lord to bestow more unity and peace among the Maltese. For such qualities to truly prevail, monetary donations and occasional expressions of solidarity and compassion are necessary but are not enough.
We, the people, must be “welcoming, friendly, kind, tolerant, loving and merciful towards one another and all those who land on our shore”, as Archbishop Charles Scicluna put it in an article he wrote on The Sunday Times of Malta on Christmas Day.
Selfishness, greed and permissiveness have denuded the people of this country of so many of those moral principles and characteristics that gave us Maltese our true identity.
The same pair of hands that make donations to the needy are then quick to applaud and egg on a desperate migrant threatening to take his life because we are unwilling to allow him to integrate and demand he is thrown out soonest.
We shed tears as we hear the sad stories of young children requiring multiple surgeries and delicate treatment, which they could receive only thanks to our generosity. But, then, hypocritically we have no qualms making disparaging comments, threats even, on social media about individuals diagnosed with serious conditions or facing death threats on grounds of their creed or sexual or political orientation.
When charity marathons are held, we are quick to extol the big heart of the Maltese people who are able to stick together in their determination to help. Only for such sentiments to last no more than a few hours as tribalism again reigns supreme; us against them, Maltese against ‘black’ migrants, Labourites against Nationalists…
It is often difficult to understand how ‘generous’ people can resort to the inflammatory language used.
In our greed, many of us fail to realise, or refuse to admit, that our donations to charity are negligible compared to the huge financial risks we are willing to take when engaging in land or property speculation even if that means damaging the environment and destroying green lungs.
Little do we care that the money we give to help the poor comes from the same pocket we put our hand in to pay for underhand deals and corrupt practices.
If the people are to blame for such insincerity, it is because they are often following the bad examples of their leaders, whether in politics, public administration or business.
The indications are that things can only get worse. Yet, hope springs eternal and there is still plenty of good in the country.
Hope springs eternal, and there is still plenty of good in the country
This ‘pleasant land’ – din l-art ħelwa, as we sing in the national anthem – deserves to be saved from itself. The young, a good number of who see no more future in their mother land, can make a difference.
May the new year give rise to fresh hope.