Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
“People are much more likely to help an identified specific person rather than an abstract or anonymous individual, and they’re more likely to help individuals than groups.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
As I continue my modern research, this sentence in the opening part of Allen’s white paper struck me. It makes sense. People are more likely to aid a specific person. Then I thought about the implications of this.
No wonder Jesus said, “Love your neighbor,” and not “Love our neighborhood.” Had he said the latter, most of us would have given up before getting started. But we can picture our neighbor. It’s one person.
Ask God if there is a specific person in your life He wants you to help right now. Does a person come to mind? If so, query what that might look like. Or imagine connecting your church or ministry constituents with a specific person.
When we do this, we increase the likelihood of a response, and we just might help those we serve get on a path, a trajectory of living, giving, loving, and serving generously. Make it so, Lord Jesus.