Be a Samaritan: Fight for a greater cause
Is humanity, or rather the “goodwill”, which has always existed in the mind of humans being pushed towards the brink of extinction? Perhaps. The recent terror attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka have certainly been eye-opening in terms of deciding the fate of humanity in the years to come. As much of a paradox as this statement sounds, it would suffice to say that issues such as terrorism, poverty, corruption and cyber crime, to name a few, have indeed succeeded in changing most of our lives, perhaps forever. Although History claims that there hasn’t been a time when the world was absolutely free from terror; it is also true that History has given us people who have strived to make the world a better place. As with the turn of every century, there have been instances of hatred and bloodlust, so have there been occurrences of love and compassion. These Samaritans, as they are popularly known as, are people who have helped those in need, without hoping for anything in return.
The origin of the word, “Samaritan” dates back to the parable of the Good Samaritan which is told by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. It tells the story of a traveller, who is robbed, beaten and left half dead on the road. First a lawyer and then a priest happen by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan helps the injured man, in an act of compassion.
On a visit to a foreign country at the age of 10, I was helped by a stranger when I got lost in the crowd. Although I may not remember his face, or ever see him again, I would always remember how he helped a scared, helpless little girl. The man could have easily ignored me, just like the hundred other faces which refused to look at me, but he did not. And that made all the difference. The stranger was my hero, and he still is. See? That is what the difference between people and Samaritans is.
Being a Samaritan is all about compassion. A genuine act of kindness. It could mean something as simple as spending time with your neighbour, an old lady who lives alone. You do not always have to donate money, or support an organisation if you want to become a good person. There are other invaluable things that you could do, such as giving your time, which the old lady might desperately crave for. Being a Samaritan could also mean something as simple as maintaining a positive attitude. Look at the bright side of everything, and help those in need. Be kind, even if someone has been rude to you. Because like they say, you can always kill’em with kindness. Be empathetic and patient; not everyone has had an easy life. To sum up – no matter what you do, whether you volunteer at an NGO, spend time with your ageing grandparents, help animals, or just be plain respectful towards others, don’t ever forget the difference that you are making.
Samaritans might be in a minority, but that can always be changed. As for the answer to the question posed at the beginning of this article, can humanity ever be on the verge of extinction long as the world has good people?
