Fear our common enemy to Making the Change

We had a few crimes in our area that have brought a lot of fear and trembling to our community and the surrounding communities and I began to read the blog's and comment sections of the newspapers that covered the crimes and a very common theme ran through them all. That's why I don't help anyone!!! The crime that shocked our community was the shooting death of a woman who after thinking that she was helping a young lady who approached her, was shot and killed when a group of people Carjacked her. The running theme through out several newspapers was that this is why you just can't help people you don't know anymore. Which leads into the second crime which to me was worse then the first only because of what happened afterwards. A man was attacked at a Gas Station and shot. After being shot, he dragged himself across the parking lot and with many people watching and ignoring him, he pushed opened the door to the store and begged for help. A video shows everyone in the store ignoring and even stepping over him to get to the counter. It broke my heart to think that a man shot, could be so near help and have so many people at hand to help, but yet not one person moved to help the poor old man. It got me thinking of a story that my Mom and Dad told me years ago when I was a child and one that I memorized in order to never let this happen to my heart. It's the story of the "Good Samaritan". In this story, the question is asked of Jesus "who is my neighbor"? Jesus than tells the story of a man who is beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, a Priest and a Levite both see the man, but for fear of an attack on themselves, they ignore the man. However, when a Samaritan comes by the man, he attends to the mans wounds, carries the man to safety and then pays to have the man cared for. Jesus then asked who was the neighbor? The man who had asked the question said "The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Fear is an easy out for those who don't want to "Make the Change", it sounds "right", it is accepted by most, but the truth is, if change is to come, then we must be the "neighbor" and we must show mercy, in spite of our fear. Yes, it could cost us our lives, but it also may save it one day, when we need a "neighbor" and they remember our mercy and give it back to us in our time of need. So what are you waiting for: "Make the Change"