"A group of seminarians were given assignments to prepare a short talk about biblical themes, then walk over to a nearby building to present the talk. Some were asked to speak about relevance of the professional clergy to the religious vocation. Others were given the parable of the Good Samaritan. Some were told, "You're late, they were expecting you a few minutes ago." Others were told, "It will be a few minutes before they're ready for you, but you might as well head over now."
Along the way, each student would see a man slumped in an alley, head down, eyes closed, coughing and groaning. Who would stop and help?
The only thing that mattered was whether the student was in a rush. Indeed, on several occasions, the seminary student going to give his lecture on the parable of the Good SAmaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way.
Of the group that was in a rush, 10 percent stopped to help. Of the group who knew they had a few minutes to spare, 63 percent stopped.
What this study is suggesting is that the convictions of your heart and the actual contents of your thoughts are less important, in the end, in guiding your actions than the immediate context of your behavior."
If you read yesterday's post, Muffy Mead-Ferro tells about her opposition to being "busy, busy, busy". I agree. If I was as busy as that, I would probably be one of the ones who wouldn't stop to help a person in need. And I don't want to be too busy to help people.
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