I'm Not Evil, I'm Just Not a Hero

Suggested Reading: Mark 3:1-6

One of the most iconic scenes in comic book history has been played out a dozen different ways, both on the page and on the big screen. Peter Parker, with newly developed spidery super powers finds himself watching a crime in progress. He has the power to stop it. But the person being robbed has ticked him off and has it coming. So, Peter Parker allows the robbery to occur and let's the criminal escape. A little while later, Peter discovers that the man he let get away has killed his uncle Peter. The discovery is tragic and it turns Peter Parker into Spider-Man. The scene is classic, however it plays out, because we have all been tempted at times - not to hurt someone - but to simply not help them. We've all known someone we thought deserved something bad to happen to them and been tempted to let it happen.

Sometimes, we convince ourselves that there is a difference between hurting someone and letting them be hurt, that as long as we are not the ones inflicting pain that we have escaped blame. But Scripture teaches us something very different. In Mark chapter 3, the Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus, to tempt him into breaking the Sabbath so they could discredit him. As such, they watched very closely when Jesus came into contact with a man in need of healing. Jesus, knowing their intentions, said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent (Mark 3:4, HCSB). Jesus didn't simply ask if it was acceptable to do good on the Sabbath, but made them choose between doing good and evil. As far as Jesus was concerned, having the ability to do good and withholding it was evil. James echoed this sentiment in James 4:17, saying, Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it (NLT).

As followers of Christ, we do not have the option of choosing not to help when it is within our power.  We do not have the option of allowing someone to be hurt simply because we think they deserve it. If we have the ability and opportunity to do good, to make a positive difference in someone's life and we choose not to do so, we have chosen to do evil.

The good news is that, like Peter Parker, we can use those failures from the past as lessons and motivation for the future. We serve a merciful and forgiving God who doesn't immediately reject us because we have failed Him. Let us seek God's forgiveness for our failures to do good, and let us move forward. From here on out, let us never skip an opportunity to do good when we have the power and opportunity to do so.

Multi-Cultural Vehicle Accidents

Suggested Reading: Nehemiah 5:6-13    

Several years ago when I went to Taiwan, someone had the poor judgment to allow me to ride one of the scooters that are so popular there for travelers. A lot like small motorcycles, these scooters were small vehicles, typically plastered with strange brand name slogans such as "Soar like a duck!" When I was given the chance to ride this scooter, I went around the parking lot a few times, thought I had the feel for it, and then headed out onto the road, where I immediately lost control of the vehicle and collided with a parked scooter on the other side of the street. I picked myself and both scooters up and then knocked on the door of the apartment to let the guy know what had happened. Somewhat in amazement that I didn't simply run away, the man and I walked his bike down the street to a repair shop where I immediately paid for the damages and had the scooter repaired.

I have often thought back on that experience (in part because it was so much less painful than accident protocol in the U.S.) but also because I was scared to death when I knocked on that stranger's door to confess what I had done to his scooter. I knew I was going to have to pay for the damages and wasn't sure yet how much they were going to cost me (a scary possibility being in a country half-way around the world). But I never really considered telling the man, "I'm sorry for wrecking your scooter. I promise not to do it again," and then walking away. That would have been ludicrous and he probably would have called the cops on me. It wasn't enough that I simply didn't repeat my mistake. I had to make the situation right.

When Nehemiah confronted the nobles and officials who had been exploiting the people, he didn't simply say, "Stop this behavior!" Rather, he told them, "Let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them-- the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil." (Nehemiah 5:10-11, NIV).  As far as Nehemiah was concerned, too, it wasn't enough to simply never exploit the people again. The right thing to do was to rectify the situation, to correct the abuses which had occurred, and to make up for those mistakes.

Too often, especially if it is something no one knows about or no one has specifically mentioned, we let ourselves off way too easy when we wrong someone. We may realize that we were in the wrong and choose to stop the behavior, but we never make up for it. For most of us, it is much easier to stop doing the wrong thing and never acknowledge it, to act as if it never happened, than it is to make up for the pain we have caused someone.  But when we have hurt people, we cannot be content with simply not hurting them again; we must rectify the situation. We must make it right if it is at all possible. Sometimes that process makes us vulnerable. Sometimes, it opens us up to being hurt in return. But we must try to make the situation right rather than simply discontinuing the bad behavior. Relationships aren't healed when people stop hurting each other. Relationships are healed when the offended and the offender reach out to each other to make the situation right.

If you have wronged someone, don't be content with not repeating your mistake. Do the right thing and make it right.