08/17/07
The Self-Conscious Samaritan
Jill Carattini
I remember the first time I learned that legal proceedings are not always exact pictures of justice. I think my mom was trying to get me to clean my room. Trying a new tactic, she told me that if a burglar happened to break in that night, trip over the junk on my floor and break his leg, I would be the one responsible for his injuries. In such a scenario, the thief could actually take legal action against the very person he was trying to rob. To say the least, I found this disturbing (though probably not enough to clean my room).
A similarly troubling picture of justice arises when a person is trying to help a victim, but ends up becoming the victim herself--such as when a passerby stops to administer CPR and winds up, for whatever reason, with a lawsuit on her hands. A recent newspaper column by Abigail Van Buren, known to her readers as "Dear Abby," lamented the increasing need for Good Samaritans to stop and consider the risk before providing assistance. While Abby herself noted there was no excuse to withhold help, one reader was insistent. In places without a "Good Samaritan law," which removes the liability of the one providing assistance, "people who offer a helping hand place themselves potentially at financial and emotional risk." She continued, "I only hope that I have the presence of mind in the future to withhold assistance in a state that has no Good Samaritan law." Thus, while the law of human nature seems to assure the majority of people will pass by an accident assuming that someone else will help out, the laws of litigation seem to warn Good Samaritans to watch their backs altogether. Consequently, in many cases, no one does anything. The victim remains the victim; the Samaritan remains unscathed.
I suppose it should not come as a surprise that we have hyper-individualized one of the most non-individualistic characters in all of Scripture. The very point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is to teach that we cannot hold these hierarchical distinctions, whether thinking in terms of race, religion, or personal liability. By the very definition Jesus offered, the Samaritan's presence of mind is the exact opposite of self-conscious. He places himself in the center of harm's way (not knowing if the thieves are still nearby) not to mention the epicenter of disdain for showing disregard to cultural norms (he was a Samaritan who should have been keeping to himself). The assurance of coming out unscathed could scarcely be the Samaritan's motive for reaching out. On the contrary, the Samaritan places himself in a position where he is certain to bear the cost.
While it is indeed lamentable that the current state of the world seems to necessitate self-consciousness in dealing with our neighbors, it is more than lamentable that we assume this was not the same scenario for the crowd who first heard the story. We seem to reason that the Good Samaritan only helped because it was not a liability for him, giving ourselves a rational exemption: "If it weren't for the law, I would be more than willing to see that person as my neighbor." In fact, the one who first asked the question that merited Jesus's telling of the parable was thinking quite similarly. His very question, "Who is my neighbor?" betrays his philosophy that the world can be classified in terms of commodities: "There are those I am responsible to help, and there are those I am not responsible to help." And he bases these distinctions on his reading of the law. Albeit a different kind of law than the laws that discourage us from helping today, it is a similar use of legalism all the same.
Yet Jesus calls the questioner away from his legalistic mindset with a story that turns his categories into smoke and mirrors. Instead of the stance of self-consciousness that asks "What will happen to me if I stop and help this man?" a far better question is posed on the lips of one who has much to lose: "What will happen to this man if I don't stop?" Setting aside the categories that could easily hold him back, the Good Samaritan has room to hold the very commandment on which all the law and the prophets hang: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. With this wisdom in hand, the Good Samaritan, and every soul that carries his presence of mind thereafter, is not far from the kingdom of God.
Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Something really struck a chord in me about this article... Maybe its because not too long ago I went back to revisit my Ally McBeal series, and find myself once again challenged by the enormity of trying to make sense of a world that has seemingly gone absolutely mad. I doubt any of those who were by Jesus' side as He told the parable of the Good Samaritan thought about the need for a "Good Samaritan Law" to exist. Surely there was a point in time in the history of humanity, where helping one in need was second nature.
One thing that always strikes me when I'm watching the Ally McBeal series, is how subjective the law really is. We always think of the law as black and white stuff, and that nothing could be more clear than anything that is "black and white". Yet ironically, it seems that there is nothing but grey areas within the scope of the law - everything can be challenged, and there's always a loophole to exploit and a crazy cause to champion.
And I guess it is only inevitable that within such a society that has chosen to be governed by "black and white" laws, people can be sued for helping someone else. Picture this - the lady beside you slips while shuffling past you in a hurry. You reach out to prevent her from falling, and ends up getting sued for groping her. You start thinking that it might be better next time to just watch someone else crack her head on the sidewalk instead of having your good intentions flushed down the toilet.
I guess I really liked how she ends the article. The call of Christ is to give of ourselves as He gave to us. I guess giving really isn't giving if it costs us nothing. If you gave me something that I really like for X'mas, it makes a difference whether you bought it, or if it was a leftover gift from a previous celebration. So Jill reminds us that instead of asking "what will this cost me?", we should be asking "what will it cost him, should I withhold my help?"... and that should be the motivation for our efforts. That's how we serve Him by serving others.
The Self-Conscious Samaritan
Jill Carattini
I remember the first time I learned that legal proceedings are not always exact pictures of justice. I think my mom was trying to get me to clean my room. Trying a new tactic, she told me that if a burglar happened to break in that night, trip over the junk on my floor and break his leg, I would be the one responsible for his injuries. In such a scenario, the thief could actually take legal action against the very person he was trying to rob. To say the least, I found this disturbing (though probably not enough to clean my room).
A similarly troubling picture of justice arises when a person is trying to help a victim, but ends up becoming the victim herself--such as when a passerby stops to administer CPR and winds up, for whatever reason, with a lawsuit on her hands. A recent newspaper column by Abigail Van Buren, known to her readers as "Dear Abby," lamented the increasing need for Good Samaritans to stop and consider the risk before providing assistance. While Abby herself noted there was no excuse to withhold help, one reader was insistent. In places without a "Good Samaritan law," which removes the liability of the one providing assistance, "people who offer a helping hand place themselves potentially at financial and emotional risk." She continued, "I only hope that I have the presence of mind in the future to withhold assistance in a state that has no Good Samaritan law." Thus, while the law of human nature seems to assure the majority of people will pass by an accident assuming that someone else will help out, the laws of litigation seem to warn Good Samaritans to watch their backs altogether. Consequently, in many cases, no one does anything. The victim remains the victim; the Samaritan remains unscathed.
I suppose it should not come as a surprise that we have hyper-individualized one of the most non-individualistic characters in all of Scripture. The very point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is to teach that we cannot hold these hierarchical distinctions, whether thinking in terms of race, religion, or personal liability. By the very definition Jesus offered, the Samaritan's presence of mind is the exact opposite of self-conscious. He places himself in the center of harm's way (not knowing if the thieves are still nearby) not to mention the epicenter of disdain for showing disregard to cultural norms (he was a Samaritan who should have been keeping to himself). The assurance of coming out unscathed could scarcely be the Samaritan's motive for reaching out. On the contrary, the Samaritan places himself in a position where he is certain to bear the cost.
While it is indeed lamentable that the current state of the world seems to necessitate self-consciousness in dealing with our neighbors, it is more than lamentable that we assume this was not the same scenario for the crowd who first heard the story. We seem to reason that the Good Samaritan only helped because it was not a liability for him, giving ourselves a rational exemption: "If it weren't for the law, I would be more than willing to see that person as my neighbor." In fact, the one who first asked the question that merited Jesus's telling of the parable was thinking quite similarly. His very question, "Who is my neighbor?" betrays his philosophy that the world can be classified in terms of commodities: "There are those I am responsible to help, and there are those I am not responsible to help." And he bases these distinctions on his reading of the law. Albeit a different kind of law than the laws that discourage us from helping today, it is a similar use of legalism all the same.
Yet Jesus calls the questioner away from his legalistic mindset with a story that turns his categories into smoke and mirrors. Instead of the stance of self-consciousness that asks "What will happen to me if I stop and help this man?" a far better question is posed on the lips of one who has much to lose: "What will happen to this man if I don't stop?" Setting aside the categories that could easily hold him back, the Good Samaritan has room to hold the very commandment on which all the law and the prophets hang: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. With this wisdom in hand, the Good Samaritan, and every soul that carries his presence of mind thereafter, is not far from the kingdom of God.
Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
________________________________________
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For help email: slice@sliceofinfinity.org
________________________________________
***************************************************************************
Something really struck a chord in me about this article... Maybe its because not too long ago I went back to revisit my Ally McBeal series, and find myself once again challenged by the enormity of trying to make sense of a world that has seemingly gone absolutely mad. I doubt any of those who were by Jesus' side as He told the parable of the Good Samaritan thought about the need for a "Good Samaritan Law" to exist. Surely there was a point in time in the history of humanity, where helping one in need was second nature.
One thing that always strikes me when I'm watching the Ally McBeal series, is how subjective the law really is. We always think of the law as black and white stuff, and that nothing could be more clear than anything that is "black and white". Yet ironically, it seems that there is nothing but grey areas within the scope of the law - everything can be challenged, and there's always a loophole to exploit and a crazy cause to champion.
And I guess it is only inevitable that within such a society that has chosen to be governed by "black and white" laws, people can be sued for helping someone else. Picture this - the lady beside you slips while shuffling past you in a hurry. You reach out to prevent her from falling, and ends up getting sued for groping her. You start thinking that it might be better next time to just watch someone else crack her head on the sidewalk instead of having your good intentions flushed down the toilet.
I guess I really liked how she ends the article. The call of Christ is to give of ourselves as He gave to us. I guess giving really isn't giving if it costs us nothing. If you gave me something that I really like for X'mas, it makes a difference whether you bought it, or if it was a leftover gift from a previous celebration. So Jill reminds us that instead of asking "what will this cost me?", we should be asking "what will it cost him, should I withhold my help?"... and that should be the motivation for our efforts. That's how we serve Him by serving others.
