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MooWhoi 11-02-017 |
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Who Is My Neighbor? Being a
Good Samaritan in a Connected World Steve
Moore NavPress
2010, 165 pp. ISBN 978-1-61521-723-6 |
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Steve Moore is the
president and CEO of The Mission Exchange, a US network of leaders in the
Great Commission community. His life
mission is to inspire and equip leaders to live a focused life, finish well,
and join with God in blessing the nations.
Steve is also the author of the ground-breaking book While You Were Micro-Sleeping. This book is available in a digital "freemium" version at www.whoismyneighborbook.com. It includes links to videos to supplement
each chapter, including a video prequel, or backstory on each of the big
ideas. There is also an online
assessment at www.MyPassionProfile.com. Introduction "Now that you have
access to the needs of the whole world in the palm of your hand
who really
is your neighbor?" (18) "One's level of
responsibility is determined
by proximity, how close we are to what
happened; urgency, how serious the need; and capacity, how qualified or
capable we are to offer assistance or add value." (20) proximity + urgency + capacity = responsibility But when the needs of
others are tragic, chronic and epidemic, urgency is sustained, proximity is
irrelevant and responsibility for action is difficult to identify. In the story Jesus told,
proximity was the primary variable affecting responsibility but in a flat
world, proximity is almost irrelevant.
We don't have to be near someone to know of their need. The question, Who is my neighbor?, has never been more complicated. Part I.
Reconnecting with the Good Samaritan 1.
Rediscovering the Good Samaritan The parable of the Good
Samaritan is easy to read, but it is difficult to live. The process of capturing the meaning of the
single thought embedded in a parable involves a careful and prayerful
analysis of the setting, story, and sequel." (29) This
parable had a dramatic and unexpected plot twist that would make a Jew gag: the hero is a
Samaritan, not a Jew. Jesus makes a
hero out the Samaritan who took initiative.
It is not the
responsibility of others to become our neighbor. We must take the initiative. "God
expects us to take the initiative, crossing boundaries and overcoming
barriers, to show His mercy by serving others." (34) 2. Redefining
the Neighborhood In Jesus' day, there was a
deep racial prejudice. To be called a
Samaritan was the worst kind of insult.
Jesus saw this blind spot in the disciples and exposed it when they
encountered the woman at the well in Sychar, a Samaritan village. When the disciples saw Jesus overcoming
these boundaries they recognized him as the savior of the world, not merely
of the Jews. "The 'go and do
likewise' exhortation in the sequel of the Good Samaritan redefined the
neighborhood to include people who are not like you
(Samaritans), don't like you, can't repay you, and wouldn't thank you to do
so." (42) How can we overcome
barriers and practice this truth by serving others? It will require much grace. 3. From
Information to Action "How you respond to
the needs of others depends on who you love the most. If you love God first, you will live
others-focused." (48) Jesus
described a pattern where information leads to compassion that demands
action. However, we are easily
sidetracked between compassion and action.
It is too easy for good intentions to get lost in the hurried pace of
life. Yet we still tend to feel
spiritual merit for having the intention.
This is a dangerous form of self-righteousness and hypocrisy. We also tend to think someone else should
do something, turning the attention away from our own responsibility. Sometimes we rationalize and make excuses
because, after all, we can't do everything.
Or we justify ourselves, suggesting that others bring these things
upon themselves, as if that disqualifies them from our help. If we take these escape
routes often enough we may learn to bypass compassion altogether. Virtual proximity can lead to information
overload and compassion fatigue. As the flow of information overwhelms us,
there is increasing pressure to take an exit ramp on the way to action. Part 2.
Connecting with Your Passions 4. Two Streams of Passion God uses life-shaping
experiences to create 'heartlinks' that help us organize and prioritize the
passions that connect us with opportunities for service. Passions fall in two categories:
interest-based passions (those things that we do well and that bring
pleasure) and issues-based passions (those that bring fulfillment and a sense
of purpose). Passion, an inner source of
motivation and self-directed initiative, can be understood as a hierarchy or
pyramid. At the lowest level we want
to learn more, in the second level we seek to engage, in the third level we
want to influence others, and in the fourth level we are willing to
sacrifice. Identify your passions and
pursue them. Use them to prioritize
opportunities for service to others. 5. Four Domains of Passionate Engagement
(Note that we tend to
devalue the contributions of those whose passions are different from ours and
consider them uncommitted!) You can get a model and
framework and do an online assessment of your passions at www.MyPassionProfile.com. (A one-time free use comes with the
purchase of the book.) 6. Passion-Fueled Purpose "A great purpose is
cumulative, and, like a great magnet, it attracts all that is kindred along
the stream of life." (91) Ranking
your passions will help you identify the causes to invest your time and
resources in the service of others. "How can you know if
you're pursuing the highest purpose for your life? It must bring glory to God and serve or add
value to others.
it must be a God-first and others-focused agenda. But it will also connect your deepest sense
of fulfillment with your greatest sense of accomplishment." (92) "Pursuing your life purpose will bring
freedom and clarity to the decisions you make about crossing boundaries and
overcoming barriers to show God's mercy by serving others." (93) There is no simple formula
but you can look at the clues from your journey, your identity and your
opportunities. What relationships have
shaped your life? What personal milestones
surfaced giftedness? What pivotal
turning points or choices have come from your opportunities? Are there any recurring overarching themes
in your life, shaping you? Do you see
evidence of God's providential intervention?
Passion helps clarify the
"what" of your life purpose, but the "how" depends on how
God made you. As you become aware of
your temperament, strengths, skills and spiritual gifts, and grow in these
areas, you develop your capacity to make a contribution. Then watch for the intersection of the
"what" and the "how," where your highest issue-based
passions connect with your unique identity.
Use your passions and your identity to filter the opportunities that
come your way. Turn the lens of your
history, identity, and opportunities to bring your life purpose into
focus. Your issue-based passions can
fuel the highest purpose for your life, connecting your deepest sense of
fulfillment with your greatest sense of accomplishment. (102) Part 3.
Connecting with God's Passions 7. God's Passion for the Ultrapoor The Bible talks about
poverty in more than 2000 verses. We
are commanded to be openhanded toward the poor and needy. Jesus came to preach the good news to the
poor. There are four faces of
poverty: crisis, corruption, consequences, and choice. Crisis is represented by natural disasters
and war. Corruption is rampant in our
world. Much poverty is the consequence
of poor decisions. But much more
poverty is about the lack of options. We often "feel"
poor, but our involvement decisions should be based on our total inventory,
not available cash. 8. God's Passion for the Oppressed "Standing against
oppression and injustice is a universal issue-based passion for Christ
followers that is rooted in the gospel of the kingdom." (128) "And every time a Christ follower
speaks out against injustice, we proclaim the gospel of the kingdom led by a
King committed to set captives free." (129) "The elevation of
foreigners, widows, the fatherless, and orphans to a place of special concern
in the eyes of God is based on their increased vulnerability to
exploitation." (129) From 12 to 27 million
people are victims of modern-day slavery.
As many as 15 million children are in bonded slavery in India
alone. The UN estimates there are 16
million refugees and another 26 million in refugee-like situations. Human trafficking is the third largest and
fastest growing criminal industry. 80%
of victims are women and girls. 9. God's Passion for the Lost "Everyone has the same
need for forgiveness, but not everyone has the same access to the
gospel." (137) "Lost people represent
the highest priority passion of Jesus, and as Christ followers we are
compelled to join Him in a relentless search." (140) "The biggest paradigm shift came when
I realized Jesus didn't die for me: 'He is the atoning sacrifice for our
sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world' (I John
2:2). Jesus didn't die for you. He died for everyone." (141) "With lostness,
eternity is at stake." (145) "This distinction
between importance and sequence is a point of confusion as well as
caution. It brings confusion when
those engaged in compassion ministries are wrongly criticized for giving
priority, in terms of sequence, to physical needs. It is a point of caution when the emphasis
on the horizontal (compassion ministries) indefinitely consumes the vertical
(proclamation ministries). An 'all of
the above' approach that gives attention to poverty, oppression, and
spiritual darkness as a reflection of the fullness of God's heart, does not
suggest equal emphasis at every point in the journey. There is a difference between importance
and sequence." (145) "The overlap between
poverty, oppression, and lostness is remarkable. It has been said that the lost are the poor
and the poor are the lost." (146) 10. What Is Your
Life? "The goal of faithful
Christ followers is not to filter out needs but to organize and prioritize them, to PageRank issue-based passions based on
life-shaping experiences that heartlink us with God-ordained causes and
intersect with His purpose for our lives.
We are called to take the initiative in crossing boundaries and
overcoming barriers to show God's mercy by serving others. Even if they aren't like us, don't like us,
won't thank us, and can't repay us."
(152) "When we surrender to
God and yield to His leading, it opens the door to an adventure of
obedience." (155) You can't manufacture
passion. Focus on intimacy with God,
making surrender your daily priority.
Embrace the adventure of obedience.
Look for opportunities to put your strengths to work. (156)
Embark on a passion-fueled journey toward the highest purpose for your
life. |
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