The modern Samaritan

My friend was telling a chilling story on our way to a workshop. As she was walking her dog early Sunday morning, she noticed another dog running straight at her - a pitbull. While I know that dogs are as poorly behaved as their owners let them be, I understand my friend’s fear as she saw this animal running toward her. The strange dog was innocent enough at first until it tried to jump on her.
My friend’s dog, a German Shepard, became agitated and did what any good dog would – protect her master. A fight started between these two medium-sized dogs. I can only imagine how frightening of a sight this must have been for my friend.
The commotion attracted on-lookers as people started coming out of their homes with their video phones to film the excitement. Even the owner of the pit-bull just watched. My friend, after seeing people at their doors, screamed for help, but no one came.
My friend gathered her courage and tried to restrain the pit bull only to be bitten herself. Even more terrified than before, and with her faithful dog’s throat in the jaws of a pit bull, help finally arrived. Not from the many onlookers, or from the pitbull’s owner, but from two strangers driving by in their van.
One man helped separate the dogs and restrain the pit bull in his van while the other, a veterinarian in training, helped make sure the German Shepard was unharmed. My friend was also proud to mention that the two strangers were Hispanics; we do like to keep track of the achievements of our people.
This story, of course, is a metaphor to what I see as the current condition of the world. Too many people expect someone else to fix the world. Everyone is so afraid to make a stand on their own. People will either hide behind massive groups, like the tea party, or the government. Political lines are drawn creating a mob mentality; both liberals and conservative are guilty of this. And in the worst case scenario people will hide behind God.
Of course God did tell us about the Good Samaritan. I don’t think people read into the parable enough. The parable is not just about a stranger coming to a man’s aid. It’s about one man who stopped caring about what his group thought.
There is one group who claim to be revolutionary, Tea partiers. To truly do something revolutionary you need to do something different, Stop saying No. Stop thinking that everyone outside your group is your enemy. Do the revolutionary thing, be a good Samaritan and reach past your groups mindset.