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Don't you want to be remarkable. What does it take to be remarkable. People make remarks about you. You are influential, in the positive sense. If you do lots of great things, but have not love aren't you just a resounding gong? According to some study the most annoying sound is the sound of a baby crying. Maybe you are just a resounding baby if you have not love.
A psychological study was done at Princeton Theological Seminary. Divinity students were told that they needed to do a sermon. Some time was given them to put their informal thoughts together on various topics. Half of the divinity students were given the topic of the Good Samaritan to do a sermon on, the other half were given other topics. All were informed that they were to go across campus and do the sermon at another building. Some were told that they were already late and that their audience was waiting for them. Some were told that they had some time to get to the other building before they had to do their sermon. Along their way all of the students passed a man in an alley with his eyes closed and was groaning as if he was hurt. Guess what?....No, really, think about what the results will be.... Do you think the students that were to give a sermon on the Good Samaritan stopped. The greatest predictor of who stopped to help the groaner was how much time the student had to get to the other building. Of those with a very short time only 10% stopped. Of those who had a few minutes 63% stopped to help. Time. Rushing. Urgency. Are we all getting to where we want to be? Love. Empathy. Peace.
I am scared to help the person with the broken car on the side of the road. They probably have a cell phone to call who they need to call. Maybe it is a trick so they can bop me on the head and take my car or money. I scared I won't get where I need to go. Maybe it's dark, or maybe I have to be in class. Rationalization. Too heavy?
3 comments:
I'm glad you posted again and also glad you gave me something to think about. I'm not so sure I want you to stop and help a stranger but that's exactly what I did yesterday. I heard God's voice and couldn't deny it.
Love you.
Hello, Cleavers - I found your blog via a link from your mom's blog. You can be sure I'll be spying on you from time to time! Thanks for the thoughtful post. I, too, think that fear and time are the greatest inhibitors to being a Good Samaritan - at least for me. I'm pretty sure they are not valid excuses, though. Lots to think about.
Wow, Chris. That was an amazing blog entry! I didn't think I liked a lot of depth in the blogging world, as I just said earlier, but that was truly astounding. Extremely convicting, and probably one of those stories that will haunt me often, but in a good way.
Thank you for your depth...it is truly refreshing. P.S. You are a great writer Chris...you have quite a gift.
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