Parables Retold: The Good Samaritan (2017)
A man of Mexican decent fell on hard times and found himself jobless. Unable to pay his rent, and with no family to help him, he soon pawned most of his possessions and lost his home. After a few months he became desperate. He walked to a street corner he knew members of the local church passed by after Sunday service to enjoy lunch at the mall across the street. He attempted to clean his dirt-covered face and straighten his ragged clothes but to no real avail. He pulled out a crude, cardboard sign asking for help and waited.
A few minutes after the service at the nearby churched ended, one of the church elders walked up to the street corner. The light was red so he cautiously eyed the homeless man and waited on the other side of the corner. He had a lunch meeting scheduled with a young couple from the church to discuss counseling. The elder knew the couple’s time was precious to them and, wanting to respect that, jogged across the street as soon as it was clear, keeping his gaze fixed downward at his watch.
Later, a young man in his twenties passed by. He was a member of the worship team and was on his way to meet his friends for lunch. He stood on the opposite end of the corner from the homeless man and read his sign. He already had his phone in his hand so, with the homeless man in mind, posted to social media about the many injustices in the world as well as the institutions and people he believed to be responsible. As the light turned green he continued on his way and added a few trending hashtags to each post for his followers to share that would inspire social change.
As the remaining stragglers left the church, they all passed by the man on their way to lunch and other Sunday activities with friends and family. No one stopped for the man or gave him a second glance. Some time after this a Middle-Eastern man from the mosque down the street came to the corner. The light was red so he struck up a conversation with the homeless man. He quickly learned his story and, having compassion, invited him to lunch. Many members from the church recognized the Middle-Eastern man and knew he attended the local mosque. When they saw him eating with the homeless man from the corner they began to whisper amongst themselves. The Middle-Eastern man ignored their whispers and stares and, when they finished eating, invited the homeless man back to his home to meet his family and enjoy the day as well as dinner with them that evening. They left the restaurant talking and laughing together as the members of the church stared.
As soon as they left, the members of the congregation began to talk more loudly amongst themselves. Some could not understand the foolishness of the Muslim man.
“What if the man is lying? He’s throwing money away he could have given to a homeless shelter!”
“How could he invite him back to his home and put his wife and children in danger?”
Other members of the church had spoken to the Middle-Eastern man on a few occasions about his faith and admonished themselves for not being like the other members of the church that were speaking ill of him. They talked through bites of food of the pride they had for the good work they were doing in the world to show love, and not judgment, for people who had not yet found God’s love as well as those less fortunate than themselves.