Who is my neighbor?

Over the past few months I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking about helping my neighbors. Helping people has become more complex for me than it ever has before. Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned by those I have tried to help in the past. Maybe it’s because I am so afraid of stripping away someone’s dignity if I offer help. Maybe it’s because I will be taken advantage of. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid. The bottom line is that all these “maybes” are starting to paralyze the helpful heart inside of me. All these books that are supposed to better equip me to help people have hindered my willingness to help people. This thinking all came to a head when I picked up the book, “Who is my neighbor?” by Wayne Gordon from Chicago. Wayne Gordon uses a unique approach to answer the question by drawing 40 different characteristics of “my neighbor” by analyzing the story of the Great Samaritan in Luke 10.

About 2 weeks ago I had an encounter with a homeless man in Phoenix, Arizona. I had just bought some breakfast from McDonald’s (Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Biscuits… sooo good!) and walked by a man lying in the shade by an abandoned building. As I stumbled upon him I felt a nudging to give him one of my egg biscuits (I had two and really didn’t need both). It is important to note that this man did not even ask for any food. I don’t even know if he knew I walked by, but it was obvious that he was hungry. I chose to ignore the prompting in my spirit and continued walking. Here is what went through my mind in the moments I walked by him: Will this demean him if I offer him this food? Will this enable him to continually rely on others to supply his daily needs? Will this encourage him to not get a job? Does he really need it? My reasons for not giving him the egg biscuit went beyond the simple fact that I was really hungry and wanted two biscuits. The thoughts in my head were legitimate questions to be thinking about. But once again I let my “paralysis of analysis” get the best of me and I chose to ignore this man. I as I continued walking to my hotel I could not get the situation off my mind. I quickly realized that I let my mind prevent me from helping someone in need once again. I didn’t follow the leading in my heart. After about an hour I went back to buy this man an egg biscuit because I knew I missed a moment to help my neighbor. However, he was nowhere to be found. I asked God to forgive me for not listening to His leading and asked that he would give me another chance to obey His leading.

I could sit here and make a good argument either way on why I should or should not have helped this man in downtown Phoenix, but for me it was clear what I needed to do. Yes, I still believe it is good to process through the questions of helping others in a beneficial way, but I also know I need to think less and help more. I need to put to rest the “maybes” and questions for a little while and learn to help again. I am choosing to help in the times when I am don’t know what to do. I have to believe that God would rather me do something than just simply “think” about the pros and cons involved in helping. I may get burnt, but I would rather that happen than miss another opportunity.

Look to help your neighbors today. And tomorrow. And next week. Think about the “maybes” and questions that may be holding you back, but help anyway. That’s what I’m going to do.

-Kory