Jesus told His audience on one occasion that there are two great commandments. To, “...love the LORD your God with all your heart …” and to, “…love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). One of His critics immediately asked, “Who is my neighbor?”
Twenty-nine year old Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York City on March 16, 1964. Murder is not unusual in New York, but details that surfaced following her death were.
The New York Times displayed a photo of Kitty and the headline read, “Thirty-eight who saw murder didn’t call the police.”
Allegedly, at least 38 of Kitty’s neighbors witnessed the cold-blooded killing and heard her screams for help. During the tragic 30 minute incident, her attacker was frightened away at one point, but returned to sexually assault and rob the dying woman. No one came to her assistance or called the police.
Fifty minutes after the attack began, the police were finally called. The response time was an impressive two minutes.
The accuracy of the newspaper article was later challenged. However, the event prompted two psychologists, John Darly and Bibb Latane, to study why people fail to offer help in emergency situations. Their conclusions were labeled the “bystander effect”, or “Genovese syndrome”.
Illustratively, the bystander effect is capsulated by the phrase, “no one raindrop thinks it caused the flood”. Practically speaking, it results in everyone surmising that, “Surely someone else has already called 911!” In reality, most individuals don’t want to get involved, so they quickly and efficiently rationalize away any personal responsibility to help.
Jesus answered the critical question of, “Who is my neighbor?” by sharing the famous parable of the Good Samaritan (for the full account read Luke 10:25 - 37). Jesus related the account of three individuals who find a man who had been beaten, robbed and left half dead. The first two solidly proved the Genovese syndrome; they ignored the man and travelled on. The third, who happened to belong to a despised minority group, assisted the man and looked after both his medical and financial needs.
Jesus asked His listeners at the close of the parable, “Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?” The obvious answer and the one given was, “The one who showed pity.” Jesus told them that they should, “Go and do the same!”
By Jesus’ definition, Kitty Genovese had 38 bystanders who observed the heinous crime done to her, but not one neighbor! As we encounter individuals in need, will we be bystanders, or neighbors?
— Pastor Ross Helgeton is senior pastor at Erskine Evangelical Free Church