Why Do People Risk Their Lives To Help Others?

The other day I was in a classroom listening to a teacher lecture on The Diary of Anne Frank. One of the students asked the question, “why would the father risk his life and his children’s lives in order to protect some Jewish people he didn’t know that well?” I so wanted to stand up an give an answer, but it wasn’t my place. So here I am writing about it. Why do people risk their lives to help others? It’s a simple answer. It’s because God has placed a sense of justice inside all of us. Some act on it, while a few ignore it. This “help”, that the student questioned, was carried out, because deep down inside the man was a sense of justice. Justice always identifies wrong (or injustice), and does what’s necessary to make it right. During WWII, a grave injustice was taking place. All German citizens (as did the entire world) had three options. They could either do nothing, go along with it, or fight against it. Whatever the response, you have to realize this: in the end you are accountable for your actions. If you choose the first two options, you are just as guilty as the Nazi regime was. It’s only when you choose to “do justice” that you become part of the solution. When you decide to oppose evil, you’re telling God that you are on His side. His side always wins (even if the battle is lost, the war is still won). If you refuse to act, or do the right thing, your guilt will determine your livelihood. When tragedy strikes, like war, famine, natural disasters, and the like, you will always see this sense of justice and mercy rise up in the hearts of God’s chosen people. It’s how it works. Our sense of Godliness can never be stripped from us. God will not allow it.

 1 Help, O Lord, for the godly are fast disappearing!The faithful have vanished from the earth!2 Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful hearts. 3 May the Lord cut off their flattering lips and silence their boastful tongues. 4 They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own–who can stop us?” 5 The Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for Me to do. ”6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. 7 Therefore, Lord, we know You will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation, 8 even though the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land. Psalms 12