Some years ago two Princeton University Psychologists decided to conduct an experiment to establish the link between hurry and compassion. They met with some Bible College students and asked them to prepare a short talk on the Good Samaritan. Then they were to walk over to a nearby building to present it. Along the way to the presentation, each student ran into a man slumped in an alley, head down, eyes closed, coughing and groaning. The question was, who would stop to help?

In some of the cases, as they sent the students on their way, the experimenter would look at his watch and say, “Oh, you’re late. They were expecting you a few minutes ago. We’d better get moving.” In other cases, he would say, “It will be a few minutes before they’re ready for you, but you might as well head over now.”

Now you would expect Bible College students, ready to give a talk on the Good Samaritan, to also be a Good Samaritan to the poor and needy man in the alley. So what were the results?

The Pyscholgists, Darley and Batson concluded, “Indeed, on several occasions, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way.” The only thing that really mattered was whether the student was in a rush. Of the group that was in a rush, only ten percent stopped to help. Of the group who knew they had a few minutes to spare, 63 percent stopped.[1]