The "Not So" Good Samaritan

The parable of "The Good Samaritan" is one I often read with my daughter. When others are hurting or sick or in need, we should try and help them. We don't ignore them.  I believe this is something every parent would and should teach their children.A few weeks back, I headed down to Yankee Stadium for work. As I was walking through the city on the way to the stadium, I couldn't help but notice all the homeless people. As I saw them, I became very thankful for the life I had been blessed with. I often talk to my daughter about the many people that are living their lives everyday, not knowing where their next meal is going to come from, or where they'll be sleeping that night. I feel compassion and sadness knowing that there are others out there in such tough conditions. I find myself thinking, ‘How can I help?’ I could serve in a soup kitchen. I could drop a few dollars in the cup. I could even buy them a meal or two.And then, that day in New York City, my indifference came to light.Walking to the Stadium on the terrace with my co-worker Matt, I saw, what appeared to be an elderly homeless lady, walk right toward us. I didn't know exactly what she was doing, but she literally walked right up to me. She had a very sad look in her eyes and without even saying a word, she stopped me in my tracks, holding out her hand (presumably looking for money). Without blinking an eye, I side-stepped her, walked around her, ignored her and just kept walking toward the media entrance at Yankee Stadium.I didn't want to be bothered. I had my eyes set on my destination, and I wasn't going to be stopped.How selfish can a person be? This woman was obviously broken, hurting, suffering, and I just moved her out of my way like a toy in the middle of the living room. I'm supposed to be this compassionate person, right? I strive to be more like Jesus everyday and yet, that day, I was only interested in me and where I was going.This moment at Yankee Stadium has not escaped my mind since that day.Jesus talks a lot in the Bible about helping the poor and being selfless, putting the needs of others above our own needs and wants. So there I was with the perfect opportunity – and I blew it.Can you relate to this?What do you do when you walk by a homeless person?I usually just walk straight ahead and don't make eye contact, almost like I'm at a carnival. If I stop and talk or even look their way, I'll get sucked in and, suddenly, my little world is being inconvenienced.What a horrible way to think and act.1 Samuel 16:7 says "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" --- This verse hits me in the gut because I screw up what it says to do on a daily basis.I want to say that I never would have pre-conceived thoughts of others, especially those I don't know. But that wouldn't be true.I want to say that I always want to be that person that would help others when they are in need. Clearly with my encounter at Yankee Stadium recently, that's also not true.We are all flawed humans. None of us are perfect. None of us should ever consider ourselves higher than another person. I did that and even though I'll probably never see that person, I'm sorry to her for neglecting her needs.Forgive me.In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus speaks of the two greatest commandments. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELFI wish I could say I have this amazing story of redemption for that day. I wish I could say that the next time I saw a homeless person, I ran right up to them, hugged them and gave them a full course meal. But that hasn't happened yet.Maybe someday, it will.