A Good Samaritan

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the best-known of the stories that Jesus told to teach his followers about how God relates to us and how we ought to relate to one another. It can be found in Luke 10:25-37.

And, lest anyone wonder, yes Samaritans still exist in Israel! Their way of life is unique. I learned a few things by reading and watching some documentaries while preparing for this blog post:

Travel - The last of the good Samaritans - BBC

Does Samaria exist today?

By 1919, there were only 141 Samaritans left. Today they number more than 800, with half living in Holon (south of Tel Aviv) and the other half on the mountain. They're one of the world's oldest and smallest religious groups and their songs are among the most ancient in the world.

Aug 29, 2018

I thought of the Good Samaritan story as I was preparing this website. The story came to mind as I thought about the living people I know today who sprang from the rural traditions at Gribble Springs.

There is a woman - about 4 years older than me who invited me to "do things" - like skating and pizza and going to the gym - when I was a much younger and less cool version of myself and didn't get out much.

There is a retired policeman who "rescued" me when I was a teenage driver - more than once - one time I ran into a utility pole while I was reaching for a French fry! And, he came to my aid, treated me kindly, didn't laugh too loudly, and helped me with the paperwork that my accident entailed. (I'm sure I got a ticket, but that isn't what I recall about the accident! I recall his kindness.) Of course, the car I was driving was from a different era. It likely didn't even have a scratch as a result!

There are many, many other stories. Hopefully, they will be told here in due course. Meanwhile, I want to make a point about the Good Samaritan.

We all know the story of the Good Samaritan. How a traveler was attacked, robbed, beaten, stripped, and left “half dead.” In the story, we are not told why he was robbed. That part is left to our imagination.

We are told about the Priest and the Levite who pass by on the other side of the road. The priest – a religious leader. The Levite – a devout person in the religious community.

We are told about the Samaritan – the outcast, the one that people looked down on. The one that the Priest and the Levite did not want to worship with. We do not know if the Samaritan was a rich man or not. We don’t know why the Samaritan was traveling on that road.

What we know is that he saw someone in pain, ragged. And we know the Samaritan decided to help someone even though the person he was helping might have looked down on the Samaritan in normal situations. We also know that the Samaritan provided what was likely 2 days of his own wages for the care of the victim.

At the end of the story, Jesus asks the question, “Which of the 3 passersby was the good neighbor? Was it the Priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan?”

From what I know about most of the people who sprang from Gribble Springs community, is that being Good Neighbors is part of our folk wisdom. We believe in feeding the hungry, clothing the ragged, sheltering the cold, transporting the stranded, and visiting the homebound. We believe in comforting the sad and the wounded.

I know from my own experiences and observations over the years that this is true. My own trivial teenage experiences may not seem life-changing. But I would argue against that point-of-view. The fact that I still recall them - almost 40 years later is evidence that those experiences are part of who I have become.

Being a good neighbor may seem trivial. Doing a small, neighborly deed may seem insignificant. But good deeds can have eternal results. We oughtn't forget that!