As a lover of words, I really enjoy books that help me understand the nuances behind some of the stories in our Bible. In Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ book, “Lessons in Leadership,” the translation of a Hebrew term recently lit up a story for me.

In this book, Sacks’ first comments deal with the Hebrew term “bereshit.” Apparently, this term speaks to the importance of people taking responsibility for things going on around them.

He retells the story found in Exodus 2 where the young, inexperienced leader, Moses sees an Egyptian officer beating on the Israelites. My translation (NIV) says “Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” But Sacks says that the phrase might be rendered, “He looked this way and that and saw that there was no one else willing to intervene,” so He killed the Egyptian…”

“No one else was willing to intervene.” I am wondering, what would you or I do?

Let’s say you were walking between stores in a nearby mall. A blind person was sitting on the walkway playing some music on his guitar. There was a bunch of money thrown into to an open case lying beside the musician. And out of nowhere comes a teenager who quietly scoops up the money and walks the other way. Obviously, the blind man saw nothing.

What would you do? Are you willing to intervene?

Some 60 years ago a 28-year-old young woman was raped and stabbed outside her apartment in Queens, New York. Her name was Kitty Genovese, and her story is still studied in most collegiate Intro to Psychology classes. The circumstances are still reviewed because so many people heard her scream, saw bits and pieces of the two attacks and yet only one person actually called the police. No one wanted to get involved. They call it the “Genovese Effect.”

But this week, thinking about “bereshit,” I am encouraged to think that most believers would be willing to get involved. Prayerfully we are willing to look around and maybe to chase down a thief in the mall (or at least make lots of noise until someone else does the running), tell the bully at school to take a hike, speak up for a neighbor, or reach out and help some families new to our community who are being ignored.

Involvement isn’t a dirty word. Caring is a Godly characteristic. Intervening is often appropriate. Saying “enough is enough” to evil is a good thing. Good neighbors show their concern. Great neighbors watch out for their friends.

Let’s be willing to step up!