Pakistan – “Not to look away”

“Auschwitz, Golgotha, Karachi… it should not have been, and still it has been. It still is. Do you understand that I am not able to look into that abyss? And I still must look – because it is the truth that life is like that. And because only the truth can set us free. Free. I have to look. Also, because it is the only way to escape indifference. Indifference is the true sin. I must not look away. I have to have the courage to look, to be hurt in my memory.

Excerpts from book by Sister Dr. Ruth Pfau.

The center she founded continues to work until now, attending to patients regardless of race or religion. Sister Ruth showed Pakistan and the world what it means to be a Christ-follower, always trusting in His power to achieve great things. For her, attending to the patients’ needs was more than medical treatment; it meant loving and respecting each human being with their full dignity. She got her strength from the Eucharist and her prayer life. The Pakistani government gave her a state funeral when she passed away, acknowledging this Catholic nun’s immense service to the country. “Not to look away” is her call to never be indifferent to our brethren’s needs.