Swapping his clerical collar for a beanie hat and tattered jacket, the Revd Sam King of Calne Baptist Church posed as a homeless man to test whether people on the streets of Reading would help him.
The clergyman, who leads a church in Wiltshire, took part in the social experiment organised by Bible Society to test people’s response to those in need and to draw attention to what Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan means in Britain today.
What he found was that dressed in his usual attire, the general public was much more willing to come to his aid when he asked if he could use their mobile phone, than when he was dressed as a rough sleeper.
According to a report released today by the charity and YouGov, only half of people would stop if they saw an elderly lady crying in the street and one in four wouldn’t give a stranger money for a train ticket home.
Speaking about the findings, Paul Woolley, interim chief executive of Bible Society, said: “Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan operates at two levels. It is a spectacular invitation to a life of self-giving that insists we roll up our sleeves and help no matter what it takes. It also challenges us to recognise that there are no limits to our neighbourliness. It demands that even those who are hated and feared are to be seen as our neighbours.”
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