By Fr. Glenn Jones:

There are likely few of us who have not passed over opportunities—sometimes pressing—to help others. That is our fault of selfishness—putting wants ahead of the needs of others, whether that personal desire be of money, time, convenience, etc. The French philosopher Voltaire’s provocative statement, “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do,” tends to subtly chastise us on such occasions, and conscience challenges us to reflect on the moral weight of inaction, a principle that resonates deeply within biblical teachings, historical examples, and plain ol’ human compassion and empathy.

The Bible consistently emphasizes responsibility to act righteously and warns of the consequences of failing to do so. Take the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37): A man is beaten and left for dead, and while a priest and a Levite pass by without assisting, a Samaritan stops to care for him. The inaction of the priest and Levite is not without fault; it is a failure to love their neighbor, a violation of the Israelite religious law and God’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Thus, even mere mission renders them complicit in the man’s suffering.

Similarly, James 4:17 declares, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” This verse directly parallels Voltaire’s phrase, framing inaction as even a form of sin. Jesus Himself repeatedly calls believers to active faith—feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned (Matthew 25:35-40). In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the servant who buries his talent rather than using it for benefit is condemned not for wrongdoing but for failing to act—betraying his master’s trust, illustrating that neglecting one’s gifts or opportunities to do good incurs even divine disapproval.

We can look at history as well, which provides ample and stark examples of the guilt of omission, where individuals or societies failed to act against injustice. During the rise of Nazi Germany, many Germans and Europeans remained silent as the Holocaust unfolded. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor and theologian at the time, critiqued this passivity, stating, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Bonhoeffer chose action, participating in the resistance against Hitler, and paid with his life. His example contrasts with those who, through fear or indifference, did nothing, resulting in a world war and the deaths of millions.

Another historical case is the slave trade, where countless individuals and institutions profited from or ignored the suffering of millions. William Wilberforce, driven by his Christian faith, spent decades advocating for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, his efforts culminating in the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. This strengthened resolve of abolitionists in the U.S. as well, leading to the end of U.S slavery with the end of the Civil War. How many lives were destroyed being ripped from family and homeland, with torturous transport, arduous labor and by war, because so many failed to speak out against that evil? Even today there is little voice for the estimated 50 or so million still in slavery around the world.

The early Church Fathers, too, collectively emphasized that failing to act in love, justice, or compassion carries a great spiritual and ethical consequence. Failing to do good when it is within one’s power bears a guilt that can stretch across a lifetime. They emphasized that true Christian life demands active engagement in doing good. St. John Chrysostom addresses the sin of omission directly: “Not only for what we do, but for what we do not do, we shall be judged.” Commenting on Matthew 25, he stresses that failing to feed the hungry or clothe the naked is not a neutral act but a rejection of Christ Himself, who identifies with the suffering: “As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:45). St. Basil the Great similarly condemned those who hoard wealth while many hunger: “The bread you hold back belongs to the hungry; the cloak you keep in your chest belongs to the naked.”

St. Augustine, in his Confessions, reflects on his own failures to act rightly before his conversion. He describes how his delay in embracing God’s call was not merely indecision but a culpable refusal to do good—much to his later regret. His writings suggest that failing to pursue the good one knows—whether spiritual, moral, or practical—carries a burden of responsibility.

The temptation to remain passive, to assume someone else will act, or to prioritize personal comfort over collective good, thus mirrors biblical and historical failures of omission. The call to act in love and justice is non-negotiable. As St. Gregory the Great wrote, “The good we omit is a loss to the world and to ourselves.” Every opportunity to do good is a moment to reflect Christ’s own love, and failing to seize it diminishes both the individual and the community.

So, Voltaire’s statement, “Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do,” finds much support in biblical teachings, historical examples, and patristic wisdom. The Bible condemns inaction in the face of need as a great fault, as seen in the Parable of the Good Samaritan and James 4:17 cited above. And the Church Fathers remind us that failing to do good is not neutral but a rejection of God’s call to love.

So: what good are we failing to do? What opportunities to love, serve, or seek justice are we passing by, just as the priest and Levite passed by the beaten man on the road? Christianity, and even mere humanity, summons us to live out our faith and values through deeds, knowing that each failure to act carries moral weight. Let us, then, heed the wisdom of Scripture, history, and the Fathers, striving to do the good within our power, lest we bear the onerous burden—and forever lost opportunities—of good left undone.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.