Who Is My Neighbor?: Being a Good Samaritan in a Connected World
Page 15
It is a paradox of the kingdom that Amy, a “brokenhearted” woman struggling with depression, would find herself climbing out of the valley by asking God to break her heart even more, but for others. Our culture and our instincts would tell us to do whatever we can to keep our hearts from being broken. Her story reinforces the core message of the Good Samaritan, taking initiative to cross boundaries and overcome barriers to show God's mercy by serving others. How you respond to the needs of others depends on who you love the most. If you love God most, you will be others-focused, even when they are not like you and can't repay you.
MANUFACTURING INTENSITY VERSUS CULTIVATING INTIMACY
Amy and Carl's story highlights the importance of surrender as a gateway to adventure. In response to God's counterintuitive leading to “serve your way out of the valley,” Amy was willing to let God break her heart. When we surrender to God and yield to His leading, it opens the door to an adventure of obedience. Throughout this book I've been emphasizing the importance of identifying the passions to which you have been heartlinked by life-shaping experiences. These God-ordained passions fuel your purpose and greatly simplify the process of prioritizing your service of others, even in a connected world. But when life seems bland, as if someone has colored everything beige, the absence of true passion can spark a desire to manufacture energy in the form of intensity. Please don't succumb to that trap.
Intensity without passion is like a sugar high in the middle of the afternoon. It produces a burst of activity followed by more fatigue and less fulfillment. Intensity communicates, “I really want you to believe this.” Passion communicates, “I really believe this.” Intensity is marked primarily by emotion; passion is marked primarily by conviction. Intensity is perceived as superficial; passion is perceived as natural. Intensity is communicated by talking loudly; passion is communicated by talking plainly. Intensity drains; passion renews. Intensity can be an important supplement for passion but is never a valid substitute for it.
Manufacturing intensity is a temptation for everyone, but it is especially so with go-getters who want to make things happen. One of the most notable examples came in Howard Dean's 2004 political campaign. He had emerged as a front-runner in the buildup for the Democratic primaries. He was one of the first to successfully use the Internet to engage a younger demographic and mobilize the grass roots. But on January 19, 2004, Dean lost ground to John Kerry and John Edwards, finishing third in the Democratic caucuses in Iowa.
Dean wanted to encourage his beleaguered supporters amid his concession speech at the Val-Air Ballroom in West Des Moines, Iowa. He began the speech with clenched teeth, rolling up his sleeves as he spoke. When the crowd began to cheer, he raised his voice even louder, but the unidirectional microphone filtered out the crowd noise and left television viewers with a red-faced Dean shouting through clenched teeth, culminating with a list of all the states they were going to win beginning with New Hampshire, ending with the retaking of the White House. The speech concluded with a primordial and incomprehensible scream. Ironically, Dean delivered his concession speech on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; it was quickly and sarcastically dubbed “I Have a Scream” and posted all over the Internet.
Though Dean had enjoyed a 30 percent point lead in the polls in New Hampshire before the Iowa caucuses, he would come in second place there the following week, behind John Kerry, and one month after the red-faced rant in Iowa, his once promising campaign was over. In retrospect, I don't think anyone really doubts if Howard Dean was passionate about his campaign. But in that critical moment in Des Moines, he tried to manufacture energy, and perception trumped reality. Manufactured intensity is not a substitute for authentic passion.
So what's the alternative?
If you haven't discovered and PageRanked your issue-based passions, you will be even more vulnerable to information overload and compassion fatigue in an increasingly connected world. But you can't manufacture passion, and you shouldn't try. Focus instead on cultivating intimacy with God, making surrender your daily priority. Embrace the adventure of obedience, affirming that you are more concerned about missing an opportunity to join with God in blessing others than looking foolish, being taken advantage of, or putting yourself at risk. Develop your giftedness, and look for opportunities to serve that will allow you to put your strengths to work. Give priority to the universal passions of the kingdom as reflected in the mission of Jesus. God is with the poor, the oppressed, and the lost; and He will be with you as you leverage your gifts to serve them in Jesus' name. Often the life-shaping experiences that heartlink us to issue-based passions come in the normal course of using our giftedness to serve others.
THE POWER OF A CONNECTED WORLD
The curses of globalization can become the blessings of increased opportunity. In the hands of Spirit-empowered Good Samaritans, technological advances can set the stage for the “even greater things” Jesus said His followers would do (John 14:12). It has never been easier to grow your passion by learning, engaging, and influencing others. The power of a connected world opens the door for more information about your areas of God-ordained passion than any generation before us could possibly have imagined. It has never been easier to locate and network with others who share your passion. If you need passionate and gifted partners whose primary domain for engagement is discovery (solving a problem) or justice (righting a wrong) or advocacy (promoting a cause) or service (meeting a need), you are better positioned than ever to collaborate with them, even if your communication is entirely virtual.
It is no longer necessary to start a “brick and mortar” organization in order to mobilize others and make a difference for the causes you care deeply about. You may have already heard the amazing story of Zach Hunter. As a seventh grader he was studying about African American leaders during Black History Month. He was moved by the stories of abolitionists such as Harriett Tubman and Frederick Douglass, along with civil rights leaders such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Zach wished he had been born earlier so he could have joined their struggle against the evils of slavery and racism. He was shocked to discover that there are more than twenty-seven million people trapped in slavery today. It wasn't too late after all to become an abolitionist.
As you might expect, Zach's passion fueled a self-directed interest to learn more about slavery, to engage in causes that make a difference, and to influence others to join him, even when sacrifice was required. As a teenager Zach launched a student-led fundraiser in his church and school called Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC). In its first year the campaign raised $8,500 for International Justice Mission's antislavery initiatives. He is leveraging the power of a connected world by making the LC2LC tool kit available as a free download from his website. As of this writing, it is available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and German. Without a building or a formal organization, Zach is doing what passionate people do: influencing others to make a difference for the causes he cares deeply about.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?
One of the most challenging passages in the book of James says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins” (James 4:17). That verse reinforces a doctrine known as the sin of omission, as opposed to the sin of commission. A sin of commission is when we choose to do something we know God doesn't want us to do. A sin of omission is when we choose not to do something we know God wants us to do. Here's the entire passage:
Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. (James 4:13-17)
Note the references to important life decisions such as where one chooses
to live and for how long, as well as business priorities. In the middle of the passage, James asks a question, “What is your life?” which he answers with a powerful metaphor, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” I believe all of this builds momentum for how James wants us to apply verse 17, which highlights the sin of omission.
Here, as perhaps nowhere else in the Bible, we are warned against the dangers of making “life choices” that are not surrendered to God. It's a warning against taking exit ramps, an exhortation to follow your heartlinks in the brief days we have to do so. He is highlighting the sober and spiritual consequences of investing the passion and giftedness God gave you in self-serving ways that do not reflect the highest purpose for your life. This is not about missing one single Good Samaritan opportunity to show God's mercy by serving a “wounded traveler” on the side of the road. Nor is it a repudiation of business or profit. It is a specific warning to those who would waste an entire life, squander the sum total of all their “momentary decisions” in a whirlwind of self-absorption only to discover the mist of personal accomplishment is vanishing before their very eyes. “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins” (James 4:17).
RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS ACCOUNTABILITY
The question, “Who is my neighbor?” was asked to gain clarity on when God expects us to take responsibility for the needs of others. But there is another related and equally important issue we need to consider. God will hold us accountable for what we have been made responsible for. The level of accountability we have before God is related to two important factors. Jesus put it like this:
That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:47-48)
The two factors affecting the level of accountability we have before God are knowledge and resources. The more knowledge and resources one has, the higher the level of accountability. The stakes could not be higher for those of us privileged to live in a connected world at this moment in history. The world is getting flatter as we are in virtual proximity to needy people all over the globe. But it is also tilted. We have more information and resources that translate into even greater levels of accountability before God.
What is your life? How will you use it? I want to encourage you to embark on a passion-fueled journey toward the highest purpose for your life, one that glorifies God and takes initiative to cross boundaries and overcome barriers to show His mercy by serving others. I leave you with a few words of exhortation and encouragement from Zach Hunter:
You don't have to look very far to know that our world is a messed up place. People are hurting. Suffering is everywhere. It can be really overwhelming. You might wonder why someone isn't doing something. Where is the help? Or you may think that if you're going to make a difference, it will be someday … when you're older, better educated, have more money, or have fewer problems of your own.
Well, this morning when you woke up, there were people around the world and in your own community who were hoping that today might be the day. The day someone stepped in between slaves and their oppressors. The day relief from suffering begins. The day they could feed, clothe and educate their kids. The day someone showed kindness to them, or let them know they had value.
Please. Know this—while you may not be able to do everything—and you can't solve all of the problems alone—working together, our generation CAN make a difference.
Don't wait for someone else. Don't wait for someday. Because, YOU are the someone and TODAY is the day.2
Zach, I couldn't agree more. Anyone, then, who knows the good that could be done by crossing boundaries and overcoming barriers to show God's mercy by serving others, and DOES it, will find grace for that.
Go and do likewise.
NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1. Anya Kamenetz, “A is for App,” Fast Company, April 1, 2010, 68.
2. Dan Ariely, a respected Duke University professor, has released a follow-up book to Predictably Irrational, called The Upside of Irrationality (New York: Harper, 2010). He is a recognized expert in the field of behavioral economics. In his new book he describes three psychological factors that affect how we respond to the needs of others as “closeness,” “vividness,” and “the drop in the bucket effect.” Closeness is the same as proximity, though it can refer to relational rather than physical proximity. Vividness is similar to what I describe as urgency but is based on the amount of detailed and personal information available. The drop in the bucket effect is very similar to capacity, focused on how much impact will my action have? See chapter 9, “On Empathy and Emotion,” Kindle location 3326–34.
3. Annie Zaidi, “Casteist Assault,” Frontline 23, is. 2, January 28–February 10, 2006, http://www.flonnet.com/fl2302/stories/20060210003703300 .htm.
CHAPTER 1: REDISCOVERING THE GOOD SAMARITAN
1. Reuters, “Jerusalem Monks Trade Blows in Unholy Row,” Yahoo! News, July 29, 2002, http://dailynews.yahoo.com/.
2. I have modified a parable study outline introduced by J. Robert Clinton in his book Having a Ministry That Lasts (Altadena, CA: Barnabas, 1997).
3. Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis, Tea with Hezbollah (New York: Doubleday, 2010), Kindle location 4421–29, chapter 17.
4. Dekker and Medearis, Kindle location 245–53, chapter 1.
CHAPTER 2: REDEFINING THE NEIGHBORHOOD
1. Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis, Tea with Hezbollah (New York: Doubleday, 2010), Kindle location 1436–45, chapter 5.
2. Michael Garofalo, “A Victim Treats His Mugger Right,” March 28, 2008, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89164759.
3. Garofalo.
4. Garofalo.
CHAPTER 3: FROM INFORMATION TO ACTION
1. Norman Grubb, C. T. Studd: Cricketeer and Pioneer (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1994), 119.
2. Grubb, 120.
CHAPTER 4: TWO STREAMS OF PASSION
1. Frank Houghton, Amy Carmichael (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1953), 115.
2. Sam Wellman, Amy Carmichael, A Life Abandoned to God (Uhrichsville, OH: Babour Publishing, 1998), 22.
3. “PageRank,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagerank.
4. “Corporate Information—Technology Overview,” Google, http://www .google.com/corporate/tech.html.
5. Wellman, 23.
6. Wellman, 25.
7. C. T. Studd had served in both China and India before this final assignment from God in the heart of Africa.
8. In some cases pascho, Strong's reference number G3958, is translated as “suffered” or “suffering.”
CHAPTER 5: FOUR DOMAINS OF PASSIONATE ENGAGEMENT
1. Eric Metaxas, Amazing Grace (New York: Harper Collins, 2007), 92.
2. Metaxas, 91.
3. Metaxas, 91.
4. Metaxas, 94.
5. Metaxas, 107.
6. Metaxas, 110.
7. Metaxas, 132.
8. Metaxas, 110.
9. J. E. Hutton, “History of the Moravian Church,” Christian Classics Ethereal Library, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hutton/moravian.v.vi.html.
10. Hutton, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hutton/moravian.v.vi.html.
CHAPTER 6: PASSION-FUELED PURPOSE
1. Orison Swett Marden, Rising in the World (Cooper Union, NY: The Success Company, 1897), 111.
2. Eric Metaxas, Amazing Grace (New York: Harper Collins, 2007), 85.
3. Robert Frost, “Two Tramps in Mud Time,” http://www.etymonline.com/poems/tramps.htm.
CHAPTER 7: GOD'S PASSION FOR THE ULTRAPOOR
1. I found multiple sources in my research that use numbers ranging from 2,000 to 2,100. One of the most quoted is Jim Wallis
, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005), 212–14.
2. Richard Stearns, The Hole in Our Gospel (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009), Kindle location 751–56, chapter 4.
3. David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2010), Kindle location 1540–47, chapter 6.
4. “Genocide in Darfur, Sudan,” Genocide Intervention Network, http://www.darfurscores.org/darfur. Getting reliable statistics on Darfur is difficult. Every group reporting has an agenda, some to downplay the tragedy and others to inflate it. No matter where you land, it is a tragedy that induces poverty by crisis.