On a road from Jerusalem to Jericho a traveler is mugged, robbed, and left to die. Jesus says that not only one but two individuals of high standing representing the community see the injured man and refuse to help, even crossing to the other side of the road to avoid him.
Ah, but then comes a Samaritan – a lowly and disrespected tribe of the day – who stops to help the man. Jesus says pointedly, “…he had compassion on him…” The Samaritan bandages up the wounds, puts him on his own donkey and takes him to an inn to recuperate, paying the innkeeper each day for the entire cost.
The Good Samaritan of the 21st Century
16th Sep 2013
Virginia Harris, C.S.B
These past weeks, my attention – like those of millions of people throughout the world – has turned to the horrifying events of Syria. How could this happen in the land and region that is the setting for so many profound accounts of the prophets for Jews, Christians and Muslims? Those ancient and unifying messages have passed along their inspiring life lessons to benefit and advance generation upon generation. And now, in this place, so much destruction. My heart yearns to help…what can I glean from Bible stories to support my prayers? How can lessons from the Bible have direct application to the events of today?
There is an account of Jesus talking with his followers (Luke 10:25-37) about the two most important laws of the ancient Torah: to love God with all the heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself. A follower presses Jesus to be precise, “And who is my neighbor?” Assuming, evidently, that there are good and bad distinctions to be made.
In response, Jesus describes the actions of the ideal neighbor in a story. On a road from Jerusalem to Jericho a traveler is mugged, robbed, and left to die. Jesus says that not only one but two individuals of high standing representing the community see the injured man and refuse to help, even crossing to the other side of the road to avoid him.
Ah, but then comes a Samaritan – a lowly and disrespected tribe of the day – who stops to help the man. Jesus says pointedly, “…he had compassion on him…” The Samaritan bandages up the wounds, puts him on his own donkey and takes him to an inn to recuperate, paying the innkeeper each day for the entire cost.
Who, Jesus asks his follower, is the neighbor? Who is truly following the two great commandments?
In my heart I am walking a similarly dusty road to Damascus…and asking myself, what does it mean to be a Good Samaritan of the 21st century? What happens to the suffering people of Syria if I avoid helping them in the way I know how, through daily devoted prayers that affirm the powerful allness of divine Love for everyone and their inseparability from Love? Yes, I can begin as the proverbial Samaritan did, by offering my unconditional compassion, not anger or judgment, and my unwavering tender care by keeping watch and expecting healing, not more suffering and death.
Every day I can ask the Divine, what spiritual idea – what spiritual currency – can I offer in my prayers to support the healing process? Because this is what I believe, that God is omnipresent in every corner of the world, especially in those areas that appear so dark at the moment. God is omnipotent and omniactive and is constantly communicating the powerful wisdom and guidance to those yearning to do good.
The Samaritan of the first century did not see any difference between himself and the fallen traveler: he saw only the man of God’s creating needing aid…and he saw himself as created to give it.
Finally, Jesus’ follower understood who is the ideal neighbor: “He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”
