Everyone wishes to be a beneficiary of mercy or kindness. It's one of the reasons we spend so much time at our various worship centres. When we are in desperate need, we approach the heavens (or wherever we believe our God physically resides) with an infinite list of reasons why we are more deserving of mercy. It matters less if we are in a right standing with God or so we think. There's a reason it's called mercy. We approach God using either truths or emotions. Whatever method we employ, we remind God that the fundamental reason He (apologies if you disagree God should be addressed as 'He') should have mercy on us is that we are humans. Nothing beats it. Even atheists yearn for divine benevolence, but when it occurs, they attribute it on "nature" or "forces."
We do not expect mercy or kindness from God alone. As much as possible, we also expect kindness from each other. It is also one of the reasons why we build cordial relationships with one another. It is purely because we are humans with God, but with men, there is usually an infinite rigorous list we must tick before we can get kindness. Religion, gender, colour, tribal, political, educational, and financial standing are all criteria we examine before expressing kindness to anyone. You'd be lucky if only one of these considerations is taken into account. The irony is that most of the time, humanity is the last thing humans think about before demonstrating kindness to themselves. There is a greater possibility of hell freezing over than of someone performing an act of kindness for a random stranger. Well, I know I’m not being kind with my words too. Before doing anything kind, we meticulously go through the filters in our heads. It's alright if you don't admit it.
One night on the Oshodi-Apapa route, a robbery occurred. That specific route is dangerous at night. Motorists had pleaded severally for the government to take drastic measures to stop the attacks, but their plea always fell on deaf ears. It seemed that the government had more pressing issues to deal with than safeguarding the life of its citizens. If the armed robbery attack itself was upsetting, what happened afterwards will leave you speechless. A motorist was attacked and left for dead. The bandits had grabbed everything he had with them, and his life was on the line. He lay unconscious on the side of the road in a pool of his own blood, desperate for assistance. As expected, several people drove by him without giving assistance. They only offered him prayers.
Someone finally chose to stop and look at the dying man - a priest. I'm sure you breathed a sigh of relief. It's as if God decided to take on human form to save the situation. At that point, you'd think he'd do anything to help the dying motorist. We believe that he understands mercy better than anyone else. He was dressed in priestly attire, as though he had just performed a service before heading out. He came to a halt and gave the man a cursory glance; he didn't resemble any of his members or anyone who had previously frequented his church. That was all he needed to make an instant decision. He quickly got back into his car and drove away. Of course, he also left the man with some prayers, as it is one of the priest's responsibilities.
The dying man was running out of time. His life was literally hanging by a thread. All he needed at that point was someone to have mercy on him because he was a helpless human. It didn't matter whether he was a wealthy and influential Otunba in town or not. Another individual came by and had a look at the man, but nothing came of it. The dying man had the appearance and demeanour of a member of a specific tribe. This onlooker most likely had some grudges against this tribe, and seeing the man opened up new wounds. He decided now was the time to repay. He was going to get his own pound of flesh. But he did something different: he left the man without praying. He drove away, abandoning the man to his fate.
Whether you admit it or not, you've been in a position to help someone and the last thing you thought about was the fact that the person was human. You got out your unwritten list and carefully checked to see if they met your well-thought-out criteria. It's funny how we let things like tribe, gender, nationality - things people have no control over - influence how we assist them. Of course, you decide who to be kind to, but what if God treats your petitions with the same care? What if the kindness we seek from God is contingent on how we treat others? The basic reason you should be kind to everyone is that he or she is first and foremost a human being; nothing else is more essential.
Article is culled from The Good Samaritan’s Story in the bible (Luke 10:25-37).
Human, first
By
Friday Okwori