The Good Samaritan: For Our Moment

On one occasion a theologian stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” she asked, “what must one do to no longer be racist?

“What have your studies told you?” he replied. “What does it say in your books?”

She answered, “‘I guess it begins with… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “This is the cure for racism.”

But she was certain that it wasn’t that simple, so she asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply, Jesus said: “An older man was traveling through a large city, when he was attacked by rioters. They beat him mercilessly and left him for dead. Content to keep protesting, activists saw the man and passed by on the other side. Desperate to save their stores, business owners didn’t even look in his direction. Scared for their lives, the police ran by. Just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a young man came to the aid of the older man. His heart full of love, the young man began to bandage his wounds as best he could. Since it was impossible to get help where they were, the young man dragged him to his car and took him to the hospital. Until the older man was better, the young man stayed by his side. When it came time for the old man to go home, he looked at the young man and said, ‘I owe you my life…I never thought that someone who looked like you would be willing to help someone who looked like me'”

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of rioters?”

The theologian replied, “The merciful one. But what has that got to do with race?”

Jesus told him, “Everything.”

Amen.