Who is Your Neighbor?
In recent weeks, our nation has endured a cluster of horrific homicides dominating the headlines. In addition to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, there’s been the brutal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska while riding home from work on public transit in Charlotte, NC, and the Minneapolis school shooting that killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.
Like many of you, I’ve watched dozens of news reports related to these events, but one report stands out that seems important for reflection. Surveillance video showed the swift and deadly attack on 23-year-old Iryna by a passenger sitting behind her on the train. The video documented her face, grim with horror, as she assessed her wounds before slumping to the floor.
But the video also showed how nearby passengers left Iryna to die alone. In fact, she lay bleeding for one minute and 20 seconds before anyone rendered aid—none of whom seemed to be in her immediate vicinity when the attack occurred.
This story prompted me to reflect upon the familiar parable Jesus told in Luke 10 with fresh sobriety:
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
The Jesus definition
Jesus told the parable in response to this question posed by an expert in Mosaic law: “Who is my neighbor?” In recent years some Christians have insisted that we “love our neighbors” by supporting certain political policies. But reflecting on this passage in light of Iryna’s tragedy, I saw how Jesus seemed to be specifically addressing a situation like hers. Some experts would describe the help Iryna needed as “relief aid”—aid that reduces the immediate suffering of someone incapable of helping herself.
As Jesus illustrated in the parable, the temptation to withhold help in a crisis situation is nothing new, but neither is the temptation to become a spectator of violence. Today we can even become content creators in the face of suffering—thanks to the smart phone and social media.
Think, Practice, Pray
As violence becomes all the more commonplace in our society, it’s time to search our hearts. Instead of condemning the bystanders who did not help Iryna, let’s consider a few fearful questions that may have struck their hearts: Is the attacker still on the scene? Will he attack me, too? What if I’m not trained in offering medical assistance? What can I do? Would helping put my own health at risk?
Let’s think—in advance—about what we would do in a situation like this. When I was a young woman, my dad taught me how to drive. We’d be traveling along a two-lane highway, and he would ask me a question like this: “What would you do if a car was coming from the opposite direction in your lane right now?
Giving my dad an answer in the moment helped prepare my heart and mind for driving hazards. When we hear a news report that cuts our hearts, we don’t have to absorb it helplessly! Instead we can ask ourselves, what would I do in that situation? Thinking ahead and prayerfully visualizing a helpful response could help prepare us to love our neighbor in a time of great need.
Let’s strengthen our “relief reflexes” with intentional practice. A friend of mine shared a story of assisting the nurse for several days at church camp. This was out of her comfort zone, and she was not well practiced in helping children with their physical needs and ailments. The very first night of camp a middle school boy threw up in his row of the worship center. He was covered in his own vomit, and she came face to face with her deep aversion to helping him. But the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart about the boy’s need for her to comfort him with a mothering presence—to put her hand gently on his back, to help him clean up, to place a cool rag on his forehead, and to volunteer to drive him home in the middle of the night. When everything in her wanted to keep her distance, my friend’s obedience to God in that moment not only helped the boy, but it sharpened her “relief reflex.”
Finally, let’s pray for God’s strength and preparation to give aid in our own moment of truth. If you have any doubt whether you would have helped Iryna on that train, share your concerns with the Lord. As we confess our weakness and seek His strength, He will prepare us to see clearly and respond intuitively when a crisis is at hand.
I’m so thankful that we don’t have to worry about the future! In fact, according to Matthew 6, Jesus commands us not to worry! Whatever the future holds, we can call upon the Lord and trust Him to equip us with everything we need to love Him and love our neighbors.
