May 14th, 2005

[RED]

Samaritans Available*

Read Luke 10:25-37

A man . . . fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. . . . a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.
-Luke 10:30, 33 (NRSV)

IN Zurich, Switzerland, where I live, when an assault happens, people assume that an immigrant or an asylum seeker is the criminal. But recently, when an elderly woman was attacked and her purse stolen, a Hungarian and another man from West Africa pursued the attacker and gave the stolen bag back to its owner. The thief was from Switzerland, while the other two were the "good Samaritans" God had sent for the elderly woman.

The biblical story and this modern-day incident parallel each other in many ways. Both work against our prejudices -- feelings that can create fear and hostility in our hearts. Both also show that God can be trusted to be with us, that God still provides good Samaritans. The final message is that every day each of us can "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37) -- to be the one God sends to help someone in need.
Heinrich Bolleter (Zurich, Switzerland)

Prayer:

Loving Christ, your call to love our neighbors challenges us. Teach us to love in ways that transform our lives and to trust you to provide when we are in need. Amen

.