Don't Point! Don't Stare!

... didn't your mother ever tell you that? Many of us have been heard that before. It's rude to point. It's impolite to stare. Or so we are taught. Even I have taken to joking with people about that social expectation. Doing what is expected of me to be seen as a proper and well-behaved member of society. And yeah I think it can be rude to point and it can be impolite to stare. But I really think it depends on why you are pointing and why you are staring. Perhaps we should look at it differently. The world teaches us not to point or to stare, but Jesus teaches us to pay attention and to point out the people around us... with concern and care for them. We aren't supposed to look at that poor person on the street as we pass them by, but that's exactly who God wants us to be noticing and caring for.

So maybe we shouldn't be staring, but I think we should be looking, we should be noticing those in need. And I don't think we should go around pointing at people, but we should be approaching them, with love. It is a whole lot more comfortable to do what the world expects of us: just walk by and mind your own business. The good Samaritan didn't just walk by. He stopped and looked and responded! In other words, he had compassion. True to his teaching in this parable, Jesus himself showed us what it takes to care. "When he SAW the crowds, had COMPASSION on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36) In order to have compassion for people we have to LOOK in order to see their need. God help me to have the courage to look and to respond.