Helping Our Neighbor

The Good Samaritan is a familiar parable. A priest and a Levite, two esteemed members of society pass by a man who has been left mugged and beaten by robbers. However, a Samaritan, a person looked down upon in Jesus’ times, went out of his way to care for the stranger. This parable is so well-known that the word Samaritan means more than a native or inhabitant of Samaria, but is also defined as person who is ready and generous in helping others; someone who treats all who cross their path with the kindness of a neighbor or a friend.

In the 1970’s, Darley and Batson conducted a psychological experiment to explore whether there is a link between personality traits and the likelihood of helping others. The experiment was conducted at the Princeton Theological Seminary with seminary students who were told that they were participating in a study of "religious education and vocations". The first stage of the study involved filling out a personality questionnaire on religious beliefs. One hypothesis Darley and Batson were testing was whether people who are religious for what it will gain them might be less likely to help than those who value religion for its own sake or who are searching for meaning in life.

After completing the questionnaire in individual sessions, seminarians were sent to another building in which they were to give an oral presentation. Before heading on their way, half the subjects were given a copy of the parable of the Good Samaritan and were told that they would give a sermon on the subject. The other half were told that they would speak extemporaneously about job prospects for seminary students. This was to test whether people who were thinking "helping" or religious thoughts might be more likely to offer assistance.

The other variable in the experiment was a condition of time. As they set off for the other building, some subjects were told that they were late, others that they were on time, and the third group that they had time to spare.

The real behavior of interest occurred when the seminarians were traveling from one building to the next. In an alleyway, Darley and Batson had placed a man slumped in a doorway, head down, eyes closed. The two psychologists described him as an ambiguous figure like the man on the road to Jericho except fully clothed. This slumped figure could have been injured or drunk. As each subject passed the man moaned and coughed twice.

The results of the experiment were shocking: sixty percent of the seminarians walked on without offering help. Those preparing to preach on the parable of the Good Samaritan were no more likely to stop than those speaking on another subject. In fact, some seminarians actually stepped over the man on their way to speak about the Good Samaritan. The personality profiles revealed no characteristics or religious beliefs that predicted helping behavior. The only factor that seemed to make a difference was the condition of time. Only a small fraction who were told they were late stopped to offer help, ten percent while sixty-three percent of those who thought they had time to spare, offered assistance.

If these seminary students preparing for a "helping profession" like ministry, some actually on their way to speak on the timeless message of aiding one’s neighbor, did not stop, how much more likely is it that you and I might fail to notice or fail to take action when we encounter someone in need of help. The conclusion to this study was that ethical behavior can be viewed as a luxury as the speed of daily life increases! Personally, I do not want to live in a world like that.

Although we may never encounter someone beaten, robbed and lying naked on the road, it is important to recognize that each person who crosses our path is our neighbor often with losses and injuries invisible to the eye but no less real. Let us live with open generous hearts, taking the time to notice those who cross our path and reaching out to one another with compassion. Performing simple acts of kindness and pausing to seek connection with one another is truly the spirit of the holiday season.