“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
This is the second of a three part entry learning from a session I
attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in
Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put
it to work at work.
Yesterday, I pointed out the importance of
being able to face reality and showing compassion with a fellow
co-worker who has been beaten down. In order to face that reality, we
must be able to recognize when someone else is hurting and then reach
into their hurt or pain and find a way to touch them at the point that
can help them become better. Words like pain and hurt are not ones that
are often heard in the workplace unless someone has suffered a physical
injury. However, I would say that the workplace is one of the most
dangerous battlefields for the attack and potential destruction of
someones ego, pride and self-worth, which are pains and hurts that can
far surpass physical issues. So, to be a Good Samaritan at work before
we can act, we need to be able to recognize and identify when someone is
in pain. This is not hard if we slow down for a moment and listen and
watch those around us, putting ourselves aside for a moment. There are
tell-tale signs. Some are subtle. You can see it in someones energy
level, how fast they are to answer or slow to give a response, how they
react to questioning or challenging, how they respond or don't respond
to the opportunity to take on more, the willingness or lack of
willingness to present to others their ideas, and the list can go on and
on. Other signs are more visible. You can see open frustration,
throwing in the towel, or using words that are either words of defeat
and resignation or words that are defensive and protective. Regardless
of the signs, it will be apparent that there is pain and hurt under the
surface. And as those who want to follow the lesson of the Good
Samaritan what are we to do?
The Good Samaritan, when he did his act of
kindness was not afraid to reach with his bare hands and pick up the
dirty and bloody man from the side of the road. He most likely dirtied
his own clothes as he propped us and helped the broken man walk back
into town. Fortunately for most of us we don't have real blood at work,
but figuratively it can feel the same. For us to really reach down and
help someone else we have to be willing to dirty ourselves and be
willing to get some of that blood on our own hands. It means that we may
need to stand up for someone else, or take on a part of their work for
them for a time frame for them to dig out of the hole they are in. It
means getting dirty and taking a risk for a fellow co-worker. It means
reaching into their pain and hurt and putting ourselves on the back
burner. It means that the other person can feel and know that you are
saying to them, "it is not about me, it is about you". If we can dig
deep within ourselves and find a way to make our work about others and
not always about ourselves and we are willing to reach to others to help
them through their struggles, regardless of the dirt we may have to
take on ourselves to do so, then we can be the Good Samaritan at work
and be more purposed in the work that we do.
Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)
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