In the New Testament parable The Good Samaritan a man is attacked by thieves and left half-dead beside the road.
A priest and then a levite pass by and cross to the other side of the road before a Samaritan takes pity on him and looks after him.
Rather than judging the priest and the levite in this story I would suggest that the reason why they crossed to the other side of the road and did not help was fear.
Fear controls us.
Fear makes us do what we hate (as St. Paul put it).
The two Jewish men were afraid of being attacked or robbed, afraid even of being defiled with the man's blood.
But the fact remains that their fear stopped them from helping.
Perhaps we can have pity on such people.
So great is their fear.
And help them to overcome what oppresses them.
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