This piece is William T. Vollmann’s deeply personal meditation on poverty, compassion, and moral responsibility, written in response to Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te.
Among the discarded of the world
Among the discarded
My journey with William, Seven, Esker and Michael
by William T. Vollmann
Jesus’ disciples criticized the woman who poured costly perfumed oil on his head . . . [But] that woman saw in Jesus the lowly and suffering Messiah on whom she could pour out all her love. What comfort that anointing must have brought to the very head that within a few days would be pierced by thorns! . . . No sign of affection, even the smallest, will ever be forgotten, especially if it is shown to those who are suffering, lonely or in need, as was the Lord at that time. [1]
To envision the Crucifixion
I own a building on a large parking lot, in a poor neighborhood of Sacramento, California. My city in her wondrous compassion has made it illegal for us to sleep in our own back yards for more than one night. [2] The obvious purpose is to prevent the homeless from establishing themselves anywhere. While their difficulties should not be compared to those of, say, Ukrainians dodging murderous …