I have to admit right off the bat that I have more than once seen someone pulled off on the side of the highway changing a tire or looking under the hood and thought about stopping. For a second my foot comes off the gas and moves towards the brake, but then I find myself looking in the rearview mirror and telling myself that a cop will probably be along soon. The reason I don't stop usually has little to do with being in a hurry or not having enough time. It is usually because of a voice in the back of my mind that says, "What if it is a trick, what if the person is just waiting for their next gullible victim to stop so they can pull a gun and rob him or her"? In addition now that I have kids I think I can't take a chance and stop with them in the car. Why is it so hard sometimes to "love your neighbor as yourself"?
Yesterday 82 year old Helen Jackson lost her life when some of her clothing got entangled in a MBTA escalator at the Government Center stop in Boston. Usually when something like this happens the first thing people do is blame the machine or the equipment, you know how it goes "SUV kills teen" like there was no one driving the SUV. In fact the statement the T released not long after the incident assured the public that the escalator is working properly and will be online again for the morning commute - phew what a relief. But, what really struck me about the story was not the condition of the escalator and whether they are safe or not, but the condition of humanity. If Helen had been alone in that place with no one else around it would have been one thing. But, there were hundreds of people within shouting distance. Helen couldn't of course shout herself, but Larry Fitzpatrick who stopped to help was shouting for help. Three others stopped to help him, but others walked by. In fact Larry said he saw people moving by briskly and even gripping their purses a little tighter, no doubt suspicious of some sort of stunt to get them distracted only to be robbed.
When Jesus gave the command to "Love your neighbor as yourself" he was asked "who is my neighbor" to which Jesus responded with the famous "Parable of the Good Samaritan." We like the parable of the Good Samaritan, we like that CVS has vans on the highway that are called "Good Samaritan" vans. We like to think that if it were us of course we would stop and help. But, what we often forget is the cost of helping to the Samaritan. The Samaritan took a risk in stopping, the person on the side of the road was from a cultural and ethnic background that was antagonistic to the Samaritans, this could be a trap. He is traveling on a dangerous road - as evidenced by the condition of the man on the side of the road. What if this is just a trick of clever thieves to distract the Samaritan? It cost the Samaritan time as he was diverted away from his journey. It cost him money as he paid an inn keeper to take care of the man and nurse him back to health. It probably got him dirty as he helped the man up and attended to his wounds.
We all hope that given the opportunity we would certainly stop and help someone in need. But maybe what we often mean is we would help someone in need as long as their is no risk and it doesn't cost me anything, or at least not much. The truth is, that when we don't stop to help the cost is much greater, not just to the Helen Jacksons of our world. But, the cost is much greater to our society. What if the men and women of our military said "I will only serve if it doesn't cost me anything"? What if firefighters said, "I will only go in if it doesn't cost me anything"? What if Martin Luther King Jr. had said "I will only speak if it doesn't cost me anything"? What if William Bradford had said "We will only sail if it does not cost us anything"?
My sister is down in Campden New Jersey this week on a service week with her university. Campden is statistically one of the most dangerous cities in the US. My words to her before she left were, "Be careful, but not too careful." We certainly need to be wise, but when we are too careful, we are little good to anyone. It's just my opinion, but it seems to me that when an entire society is filled with people whose strongest desire is safety and will only serve others if there is no cost to themselves, then that is not much of a society. Gone from our vocabulary will be words like valor, honor, courage, and independance. They will be replaced by safety, security, and dependance.
"Lord please comfort the family of Helen Jackson today, and give us more Larry Fitzpatricks in our society, and may it start with us. Amen."
