Most of us are familiar with this parable from the Bible. A Jewish traveler is robbed, beaten, and left half dead alongside the road. A priest and a Levite come by. Both avoid the man and keep walking.

Finally, a Samaritan happens upon the traveler. Although Samaritans and Jews despised each other, the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus tells the parable in response to the question, “And who is my neighbor?” The conclusion: The neighbor is the one that shows mercy to his injured fellow man.

There are three types of people. The first is the robber who beat the man. Criminals that have no regard for life. We are experiencing a historic crime wave in America. There is no shortage of criminals.

The second are the self-focused and self-serving. Their question is, “If I stop and help this man…what will happen to ME? How will it affect ME?” The world is full of people that horde their money, cars and houses, while completely ignoring the hungry and downtrodden around them. They only think about themselves and never consider what is best for the community or society.

Finally, there is the third type: The Good Samaritan. They ask a different question, “If I don’t stop and help this man, what will happen to HIM?” Carefully consider your legacy and which of the three you want to be.