A shelter home that was running allegedly without registration since 1994 in a residential area in Noida came under scrutiny after the video went viral on social media. During the inspection, several of the forty-two elderly inmates were reportedly found locked in basement-like rooms, some half-clad or with soiled, stinking clothes. (Deccan Herald, 28 June 2025)
Imitation: The Lord Jesus Christ, seeing the crowd like sheep without a shepherd, was moved with compassion. (Matthew 9:36) The disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, filled with the love of God, also demonstrate love, care, and nurture for the helpless and hopeless masses. Mother Teresa is a great example to demonstrate God’s love in action. However, some people like to imitate Mother Teresa and other Christian agencies. What is accomplished by divine love, call, and anointing of the people of God could not be done with human efforts and emotion. Tragically, such imitation brings immense misery and pain to people.
Charity commercialized: Some people want to make services a commercial enterprise. With business ideas, they wish to do a service that ends up in disaster, like this episode of elderly abuse. Yes, in the name of charitable service, it is possible to mobilize funds. Individual donors, Corporate Social Responsibility funds, and government projects could be mobilized for funding. When funding is the motive, service becomes a casualty. The organizers become rich, and those served endure unspeakable misery.
Relativism: In the old-age home, one person justified the negligence and oppression by saying, “Things here are better than in many other old-age homes.” Two facts merge: there are many old-age homes with insufficient infrastructure and inadequate care. Second, those who ran this home were satisfied and self-applauding themselves for mediocre service. Instead of meeting the government standards, this institution claimed higher moral ground by comparing itself with other bad institutions.
Care and concern: Serving people is not easy. Unless a person realizes God’s call and God’s empowerment, they cannot serve with love, humility, understanding, and sensitivity.
Do I serve others with an attitude of love and care?