Go Beyond

The view of our planet from outer space is awe-inspiring — a reminder of what a small piece of real estate our human species actually occupies in the limitless expanse of the universe. All of the geographical boundaries and the other things that separate us from one another are indistinguishable from space. The only thing that is certain is that God has blessed us with a beautiful place to call home.

The state of our world only becomes apparent as we zoom in. Only then do we begin to see and sense that all is not well on our planet. Only then do we begin to hear creation groaning and longing for something better. And only then do we begin to more fully understand that apart from recognizing that human life is sacred, we will utterly destroy one another and the world we live in.

Yesterday, our team of students arrived in Jordan in response to the cries of hurting humanity — refugees who have fled the civil war in Syria and the threat of ISIS in northern Iraq to find some measure of safety for themselves. What is happening in this part of the world should indeed concern us. To ignore what is happening or to walk away is paramount to the behavior of the priest and Levite who did the same in the parable of the good Samaritan.

The parable of the good Samaritan illustrates the various ways in which we regard our fellow human beings and, ultimately, why the world hurts. The attitude of the men who beat and robbed the traveler on the Jericho road was, “What is yours is mine. I’ll take it.” That is the attitude that breeds pain, loss, fear, and despair.

The attitude of the priest and the Levite who happened across the dying man was, “What is mine is mine. I’ll keep it.” And indeed they did. They did not lift a finger to help a fellow human being who was in deep pain. Martin Luther King Jr. observed that they did not stop to help because they were afraid and thought to themselves, “What will happen to me if I stop to help that man?”

The attitude of the Samaritan is the attitude that we must learn to adopt if we are to alleviate the suffering of others. This man displayed an attitude that said, “What is mine is yours. I’ll share it.” And so he did. Again, in Luther’s words, this man must have thought to himself, “What will happen to this man if I do not stop to help him?” He displayed what Luther called a dangerous unselfishness.

One of the most important things that Christ-followers bring to a world that hurts is a dangerous unselfishness. By being present in places where people are hurting, by being the hands and feet of Jesus, we can and we are making a difference. I am thankful that we are cultivating a dangerous unselfishness in our students. This month more than four-hundred of our students from Kingsland will show the world practical expressions of God’s love. I look forward to how He will use our high school grads to be His hands and feet among suffering refugees in Jordan. Thanks for your prayers.