Scripture is full of stories about paralyzed and lame individuals being healed, but one story has always stood out for me. That’s because it seems so cruel.

On the surface, what Jesus said to a lame man lying near the Bethesda pool in Jerusalem was mean. He asked, “Do you want to be healed?”

Let me back up. Myth had it that when an angel disturbed the waters of the Bethesda pool, the first person to touch the water would be healed of their malady. Invalids—the blind, the paralyzed, and otherwise lame—would gather there in hopes of being the first one into the water.

So, yes, Jesus; of course, the man wanted to be healed. Except… we all know people who don’t.

We all know people who are comfortable in their misery, who find their life’s meaning and worth wrapped up in suffering.

This man was different; he explained to Jesus how he had no one to help him move into the water at the first ripple. He wanted to be healed but did not have anyone to help him.

I see the same thing repeated every day. People who complain about the state of our country, and who are angered by the news of the day. To be sure, there is a lot to be angry about—but some seem to find meaning in being angry.

When given the opportunity to learn how to make a difference, they sniff and look away. They define themselves by their anger, and they are – frankly – comfortable with it.

Others, though, are tired of sitting on the couch. They are ready to redefine themselves not as passive recipients of bad news but as agents of action. These are the people who want to make a difference in their communities, schools, states, and nation. They are just waiting for someone to help them get started.

Of course, Jesus healed the man at the pool and didn’t even require him to get wet. Scripture tells us that man couldn’t stop telling people about what had been done for him. We don’t know what else he did in his life, but I suspect he didn’t slow down for the rest of his days, nor could he stop talking about that miraculous day.

So, what about us? It’s certainly easier to make fun of those people who stay on the couch and yell at the cable news shows. We tell ourselves they should know better.

But did we? We oftentimes forget what it was like when we first felt the stirrings of civic engagement. And we tend to forget the help we got along the way.

Our nation needs us to define ourselves not by our anger, but by our willingness to stand up and get to work. And as a self-governing people, we must be willing to grab those who are likewise eager to be effective citizens.