When life continues to speak after deathtranslated

Human fate and divine justice, on the occasion of the parable of Plousius and Lazarus (Luke 16,19–31)

Petros D. Damianos, Dr. Philosophy - NTUA Teaching Staff

There is something profoundly shocking about the parable of Plousius and Lazarus. Two people, who lived so close to each other and at the same time so far, meet after death in a reality where earthly conditions have been reversed. The one, who had everything, is now deprived of even the slightest relief. The other, who had nothing, rests in Abraham's bosom.

And yet, within this dramatic reversal, one detail seems to open a window to a deeper mystery. The rich man remembers his five siblings. He knows they are still alive and asks that Lazarus be sent to warn them.

Is it only the memory that connects him to them? Is it the anguish of people he left behind? Or does he have the ability to know something of the life they are still living?

Christ does not reveal the answer to us. Perhaps because the main message of the parable lies elsewhere. However, the question remains: does man's relationship with the earthly end...