Terry Schiavo: Another Case of Convenience v. Compassion

By Derek Holser
Executive Director
Common Good Foundation

As a child, I was taught the story of the Good Samaritan. In this parable, a man is found on a roadside, having been robbed and beaten by some bandits and then left to die. This man is never named, never given an identity, he is just another of the needy among us. As he lay in the dirt, bloodied and bruised, two men pass by him on their way to various destinations.

Perhaps like many of us, the men that passed him that day were busy, and it would be inconvenient for them to show any true compassion. Perhaps they thought, "I gave some money to a charity recently", or "someone else will help this hapless soul." Amazingly, the first man to pass by this poor wounded person is a priest, a man entrusted by his ordination to care for the less fortunate among us. The second man, a lawyer, passes by him even though he may be able to offer this victim the protection of the law by assisting him in identifying and bringing to justice those criminals who left him to die.

I wonder how many of us would pass by this nameless man? I wonder how many of us would find it inconvenient to help those who have been left to die?

Terry Schiavo was left to die last week, and many people among us were willing to pass her by, thinking it was inconvenient or unnecessary to provide assistance to someone that is not currently experiencing "a full life". Like Terry Schiavo, the nameless man was not currently experiencing what society would have deemed "a full life". Thankfully, compassion overcame convenience and someone stopped to help him. Thankfully, the Florida Legislature and Governor Jeb Bush allowed compassion to overcome convenience by stopping to help Terry Schiavo this week.

The battle between compassion and convenience is one that we each fight on a daily basis. Although we may be busy working and living, we must also be compassionate to the less fortunate among us. The reason we must be compassionate is clear: it is a response to the essence of humanity, being made in the image of the Creator. The story of the Good Samaritan has an interesting beginning - The story is prompted by the question, "Who is my neighbor?"

"Who is my neighbor?" I believe this question is motivated by a desire to limit the bounds of our charity. The man asking the question is seeking to restrict his solidarity to a small group in his community. Yet Jesus blows that notion to smithereens by telling a story about a Jew being helped by his mortal enemy, a Samaritan. In the end, Jesus' interrogator realizes the true meaning of being a neighbor. A neighbor is someone who allows compassion to overcome convenience.

When compassion wins, new relationships are created; when convenience wins, old relationships remain status quo. When compassion wins, the fullness of life is experienced; when convenience wins, the emptiness of existence is perpetuated. When compassion wins, a culture is humanized; when convenience wins, mankind becomes more mechanistic.

This week, in the life of Terry Schiavo, the Florida Legislature, and Governor Bush, Compassion Won! In the coming court battle, let's pray that compassion wins. In this new millennium, let's pray that compassion wins. In the hearts and minds of humans the world over, let's pray that compassion wins.

_____________________________

Derek Holser is the Executive Director of Common Good Foundation, an ecumenical movement devoted to the conversion of culture through four pillars of participation; life, family, freedom and solidarity with the poor. He is also the President of Advocatus, LLC., a full-service lobbying and public relations agency dedicated to "giving a voice to those who have none".

Contact

Common Good Foundation
http://www.commongoodonline.com VA, US
Derek Holser - Executive Director, 757 963-5747

Email

derek@lawofficelsf.com

Keywords

Compassion

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