"Good work takes root and multiplies."

DAILY REFLECTION - BY DR TAN TEK SENG

• 21 April 2025

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭

In today's world, it is heartbreaking to see how recklessness and inhumanity are often glorified, while true wisdom and compassion are overlooked.

In 1993, photojournalist Kevin Carter captured an image that shook the world - the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, “The Vulture and the Little Girl.”. Taken during the Sudan famine, the haunting image depicted a starving child collapsed on the ground while a vulture lurked nearby. It sparked global outrage and an intense debate about the ethics of photojournalism. As Carter was celebrated across major news channels for his exceptional photographic skill, fame surrounded him, but it was fleeting. Behind the applause, he bore the weight of the suffering he had witnessed. Just months after receiving his Pulitzer, on July 27, 1994, at the age of 33, he succumbed to overwhelming despair and ended his own life. His tragic story stands as a solemn reminder of the emotional toll of witnessing human suffering. More than just a reflection on journalism ethics, his life urges us to embrace the biblical call to compassion and action - to be the hands that help, not just the eyes that watch.

James 2:15-16 calls believers to a faith that is more than words - a faith that moves, serves, and transforms. It urges us to be the hands and feet of Christ, meeting the needs of the hungry, the hurting, and the forgotten. True faith is alive when it is lived out in action, reflecting the heart of God in a world desperate for His light.

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.”