What about being a "Good Samaritan?"
Many people are not happy with this solution of isolating ourselves and turning away when we see needs. It reminds me of the
story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible (Luke 10).
Jesus tells this parable in response to someone who questions him about who their "neighbor" is. If the Bible says to "love our neighbors as ourselves," and if we’re looking for loopholes, we might wonder exactly who these neighbors are.
So in response to that question, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.
The parable is about a man who is robbed and beaten, and winds up lying helpless on the road. Two people pass by, unwilling to help, before someone finally stops -- the “Good Samaritan.”
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. Love mercy now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."
- The Talmud
When this story is told, the application is usually the obvious “moral of the story”: We should be like the Good Samaritan and help people in need. We should NOT be like the other two people who were too busy to stop and help.
Well that's great ... as long as you only encounter one person in need as you take your trip. But it can be challenging to apply this parable to our lives today, when we encounter many people with many needs on our journeys.
And that's exactly the problem, because that's the world we're living in.
The Good Samaritan finds one man who has a need on this road. He is able and willing to help,
which of course is exemplary. But suppose after helping this man onto his donkey, he came across another person who'd been beaten up and robbed? Should he help this person too? He had placed the first man on his donkey already; where can he put the second man? Is there room for two injured people?
Okay, let’s say he figures out a way to help the second man. What if, after this, he comes across two more injured men? Four more?
What should he do when facing needs beyond his capacity
to offer help? That is the world we live in today.
Keep in mind that this is a parable, intended to make a specific point in a specific conversation. It's not a perfect analogy about how life works, and it's not given as a law that applies to any and all situations. Jesus uses this
parable to challenge his listeners to live with compassion.
We need to figure out how to apply this when our lives intersect with many more needs than we are able to handle.
Taking a Closer Look
As we apply the story of the Good Samaritan, it can be helpful to also notice what the Good
Samaritan does NOT do. He tends to the man's wounds and brings him to an inn at the next town. He gives the innkeeper money to pay for the man’s stay after the Samaritan continues on his trip.
Wait, did you notice that? He leaves. He
continues his trip. He doesn't cancel his trip to continue helping this man. And this is the key point: When he is confronted by a need, he goes out of his way to help with that need.
He does what is reasonable, given his situation. He does what is possible, giving what he is reasonably
able to do. But he doesn't interrupt the flow of his life and cancel his other responsibilities to help this one.
Maybe you think that in order to be a Good Samaritan, you need to help everybody around you. Good luck with that.
Maybe you think that when you start helping someone, you need to cancel your other plans to “be there for this person.” Maybe you do, but probably you don’t. Not even the Good Samaritan did that!
Not Every Need Is Yours to Meet
Just because you are aware of a need, it doesn't mean you are called to meet that need. Just because you encounter a problem, it doesn't mean it's your job to solve it. Just because there is someone in
your life who has a problem -- or you see an issue that you could help with -- it doesn't mean it's now your responsibility.
“Don’t ever feel bad for making a decision about your own life that upsets other people. You are not responsible for their happiness. You’re responsible for
your own happiness. Anyone who wants you to live in misery for their happiness should not be in your life anyway.”
- Isaiah Hankel
If you live your life simply reacting to the needs in front of you, you will feel overwhelmed, and you will miss
out on opportunities to help in ways that are the best match for your gifts and are the most strategic for how you invest your life.
