“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37.
“Wadda ya want?”
“I don’t know what do you want?”
“I don’t know.”
Is this an example of trying to be polite or do we really not care?
Let someone suggest something you don’t like and you say so.
“So wadda ya want?”
“I don’t know, but not that.”
Picking a movie or restaurant may follow something like the previous dialogue, but consider the question. What do you want? What do you stand for? What is important to you? Some life events like those in the news have never impacted you. Those who have been affected may be far away – geographically, socially, financially, spiritually. Not part of your world so you don’t care. You can’t “relate”. Until you get fed up with it always being in the news and on people’s minds and in their conversations. Then you want it all to stop. Just go away.
Does it really matter?
YES.
We only have one world. It doesn’t belong to just you or just me or just them (though that is a cause of many wars). It belongs to us – together to share. It even belongs to those who are yet to come. If you suffer injustice, you care. You want it changed. But if it’s only “them”, you resume life without a care until you are in their shoes. Then it’s front-page news or you believe it should be. If someone helps, it’s good. Maybe you’ve always had friends or family to help you out. But what happens when you’ve never connected. And others do the same. Eventually, could there be no one to help? Could you be left stranded with only yourself? Me, myself, and I make a pretty small world and sooner or later a boring unhealthy world.
Remember the good Samaritan story (Luke 10:30-37) where the victim is robbed and injured. Those you’d expect to help, the priest and Levite, for varied reasons don’t. Then the unexpected happens. A good Samaritan stops and helps. Samaritans were not favored people but hated foreigners. No one would expect him to help an enemy. But he did. Would you?
God put you here for a purpose. You are made to love and be loved. Love can be expressed by serving, speaking up, defending another. We can find joy in caring and serving. But not deciding is a decision. Sitting on the sidelines complaining does nothing. It only perpetuates the problem.
You need to stand up. You need to care. I encourage you to consider the bigger picture. Our world is sick. You can be a part of making it better. Do your part. I’m trying to do mine. Together we can make a difference in the life of one and another and another.