Go and Do Likewise

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37

I have found that the story of the kind Samaritan, the despised alien of the people he was talking to, is so important and real for us today. We live in a time when political leaders, who call themselves Christian, ship unsuspecting new arrivals to an unprepared island. The people of the island were kind, good and generous, despite the cruel politics. And we are called, all of us, to put politics and divisions aside, and care for those along our journey. The question that brought on this story was about salvation. The answer to all of us is "go and do likewise",

Wonderful Creator, you made a diverse people

scattering us in various places across the globe

like stars in the skies that guide us home

and call us to love all of our neighbors.

We separate our children by age and race

yet you send them to us with prejudice

we mold them to fear and reject difference

while you made us all to love others like family.

Lord, strip away the prejudice we hold onto

and supplant your eyes of love into our beings

let us witness to the whole beautiful creation

that God is love as we love our all neighbors. Amen.