Jordan Chamblee

AFA Journal staff writer

March 2017 – “When my husband first told me that he was leaving, I thought that I would die. He was the most important thing in my life, and now he was leaving me for someone else. I didn’t know where to turn. All I could do was cry out to God!”

This is one of many real-life tragedies recorded by Lisa Barnes Lampman in Helping a Neighbor in Crisis. The scenario illustrates a perfect opportunity for a Christian to reach out in love. A collection of writings from several Christian authors, this book effectively addresses the multifaceted problem of tragedy in a Christian’s life and how the body of Christ can respond.

Every page that turns on the calendar seems to bring new tragedies in the lives of friends, family, and people one passes on the street. It has been so since the day Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, bringing a halt to a time of perfection and paradise; and it will be so until Christ returns at the end of all things and sin is once and for all done away with.

But in the meantime, the reality remains that Christians are commanded to spread the gospel in a world that is filled with sorrow and suffering.

Who is our neighbor?
“There was a sound. Terry was not sure she had heard the sound or felt it… a deafening blast… then silence. One hundred and sixty-eight were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. Life would never be the same again” (From Helping a Neighbor in Crisis).

Another real-life scenario. Another opportunity. There are times when it is not simply close acquaintances who cry out for help. Sometimes it is a stranger, an outcast, and even someone who holds a fundamentally different set of values. Lampman, president of Neighbors Who Care, says that Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan lays out not only the command to show mercy, but also defines who a neighbor is.

“The Good Samaritan didn’t have to go out of his way to meet someone in crisis,” Lampman wrote. “In fact, the man was lying in his path. The Samaritan just opened his eyes – and his heart. Unlike the priest and the temple assistant who ignored the man’s groans and cries, the Samaritan stopped and offered help and hope to the dying man. Most of us don’t have to go beyond family, friends, neighbors, and fellow church members to find people experiencing crisis or need.”

To the audience listening to Jesus Christ’s beloved parable, the character of the Samaritan must have been a strange figure indeed. Samaritans and Jews did not get along. In fact, one might say they despised one another. Yet Christ intentionally set aside decades of bitterness and hostility to show that, for the Christian, everyone is a neighbor.

Compassion and kindness should not be reserved for those who agree with a Christian worldview. The compassion of the people of God must extend to the whole world. Atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus – they are all neighbors. This is the free quality of mercy; divisions, politics, religions, mistrust, or any other difference cannot box it in.

Lapman offers four suggestions on how to discuss spiritual issues with those who have experienced a disaster, especially if they are nonbelievers:

▶ Allow victims to express questions, concerns, and even anger against God. Survivors often look for “permission” to confront spiritual questions openly.
▶ Listen without judgment. In the days, weeks, and months after a crisis, the survivors need people of faith who will listen carefully and without judgment.
▶ Affirm the wrongness or evil of what has happened. This is particularly important when the trauma has been caused by human cruelty or brutality.
▶ As appropriate, encourage victims to talk about how their faith and belief may help them cope with what has happened.

Sometimes, mercy may even be the most effective way to show the love of Christ and spread His gospel to unsaved hearts. In the foreword of Helping a Neighbor in Crisis, Charles Colson wrote: 

That is the role of the body of Christ – to be there for one another in times of crisis, both the joyful times and the ones that are difficult. … A crisis is a decision point – often a point where people determine whether they will turn to God or away from Him.

The command to show mercy
Just as Christ showed mercy and grace to all people, so must His Church. Remember what Christ said on the matter in Matthew: “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me’” (Matthew 25:37-40).

Showing mercy, extending a helping hand in a time of hardship, is not simply something nice to do to earn points with God. It is a command. It is so important that showing mercy is counted as an action done toward Christ Himself – and conversely, turning a cold shoulder to a person in need is tantamount to snubbing Christ (Matthew 25:41-46).

In Helping a Neighbor in Crisis, 32 crisis situations are presented as examples. These include deaths in the family, substance abuse, rape and sexual assault, natural disasters and more – each with Scriptures, true-life stories, information about the crisis, and practical suggestions on how Christians can engage to best represent Christ as they carry out His commandment to show mercy to the suffering. Scripture is the foundation of each section, as a biblical approach to any tragedy is key to ministering to the needy.

One of the defining elements of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ is His compassion for the poor, lowly, and broken. Even in the world outside the church, Jesus is known for His acts of kindness, healing, and uplifting the downtrodden. While this is only one attribute of His ministry among many, it is no less a pattern for His followers to emulate.

Who knows how much greater the impact of the church could be in the world if it were known for its acts of kindness and love for the oppressed and the outcast?  

Helping a Neighbor in Crisis offers pertinent tips to Christians who have a heart for those going through trials, including helpful things to say and do, and answers that one may feel tempted to give, but which would do more harm than good. But perhaps the best feature of Helping a Neighbor in Crisis is the focus on conforming to the image and pattern of Jesus Christ. Every section ends with a prayer relating to a specific crisis and Scripture passages that lay the biblical foundation for ministering to the suffering. Honoring God by showing mercy is the heart of every section, and readers will be challenged in their own walk with the Lord as they learn how to minister to their neighbors in times of crisis. Available online and at bookstores.