Are the Lepers Hiding?

I heard someone say the other day that the Lepers of our day are hiding. That is, for most of us that we don't walk along the street and see lepers or people in need begging. Initially, I thought yes this is true. The reason I don't get off my bum and help people I because I don't see people in need. Today I changed my mind I don't think people in need are hidden.

Ask anyone...

• Are there people starving in the third world?
• Do you think the old man in the city who smells like he hasn't bathed far a week homeless?
• Does the couple down the road who are always fighting have a good relationship?
• Is the refugee from Afghanistan trying to flee a horrible and dangerous situation?

The answer is going to be yes. In fact people in need might be more easy to see than ever before.

The Lepers or people in need in our world are not hiding. If you just look at your own shoes, always keep your iPod in your ears and watch soap operas instead of the news you can try to claim ignorance. But, I'd call it avoidance. We don't live in a world where the marginalised are hidden. They are simply on the margins.

The big problem is that it's hard work. We usually look at the story of the Good Samaritan with disdain for the priest and the Levite who just walk on by. But they are just like me when I see someone who is in need be that a third world country or someone on the street or a couple in distress. Rationalisations like "I wouldn't know what to do", "it's not my place to intervene", "the money won't get to them" or "they'll spend the money on alcohol anyway." Are all much weaker than the priest and Levite's fear that the man on the road would mug them.

The Good Samaritan, took a risk and it cost him both time and money. Perhaps, if we are not prepared to take a risk spend time and spend money then we are not prepared to help.