It is told we should help those least among us but how far should we go? If helping that individual brought direct harm to us most of us would avoid helping but what happens when it’s not so apparent? Many of those in need of our help may suffer from living in poor unsanitary conditions and/or might have mental health issues but do those fears prevent us from lending a helping hand? If we act in such a way are we protecting ourselves or creating another form of a “Leper colony” where help is only given from a distance? Here are a few ways (below)we can see whether we are helping another or putting ourselves in unnecessary risk.
(1) Do you have any prove that the individual needing help is dangerous or is it just something you heard through the grapevine?
(2) If it’s a grapevine how strong is the fruit in other words how reliable are the people that you hear it from?
(3) Have you approached the individual even from a distance to see whether these remarks bear a semblance to the truth?
(4) If so could you find another way to help? Maybe you can reach out to a relative or a community service that might be more equipped to help.