What good can come from Samaria? (11th July)

A few weeks ago a video clip titled, ‘BP spills coffee’ was put online. As of date there were 9 million clicks on it. It mocks at the disaster of BP. It is fascinating how much media and press influence us in gradually killing the truth that we have brains too! On the other hand we are better at criticism than social work; we are better judges than advocates. We are certainly a better Levite and a better priest and seldom a Samaritan – let alone the ‘good’ part of it!

Winter 2006 I guess, construction worker Wesley Autrey helped a man with seizure. The newspapers called him Good Samaritan. Any social worker could easily be called a Good Samaritan.

Jesus has the habit of taking what we branded as worthless and making them great, starting from Nazareth: What good can come from Nazareth? Jesus answered that! What good can come from these 12 ordinary men? What good can come from the Cross? What good can come from Samaria?

In the West Germanic form the word ‘Neighbor’ means a farmer who lives close-by. One of the English Comedy shows mock at people about their knowledge of their neighbors: They meet in Disney, FL. If we are not aware of our physical neighbors, how are we set to be aware of our spiritual neighbors?

The robbers nearly killed him; the priest and the Levite nearly buried him but the Samaritan nearly gave him another life. We are so quick in taking things from people: power, money, dignity, privacy, unhealthy pleasures and spirituality. The robbers steal what rightfully belongs to another person. When you refuse to be spiritual as a Christian, you actually rob that from your children! When you throw your responsibility as a father and a mother out of the window you rob that from your children! What is yours is mine because I am selfish.

Insensitivity is the root cause of all the failures in relationships. Your problem is your problem. Leave me alone – I don’t want to be part of your problem though you are my wife/husband/child. Civilization made a family into individuals living in the same house as neighbors in separate rooms! My Dad is my neighbor! My wife is my neighbor!

Jesus’ way of life is not just the best way, it is THE way! There are no short-cuts to relationships: you got to use everything you have – your resources. The gospel reminds us of the Samaritan using oil, wine, bandage, animal, money and more over his compassion. The compassion transcends who he is, where he is from, what kind of a person he is! All that matters is ‘I see you, I got you’. What is mine is all yours because I want to show you how much God loves me! I was in danger and God was there!

Not all can be a hero – saving people’s lives. Not all can do what Jesus did! Not all are called to be on the Cross! There are others who are called to be beneath the cross, sharing the pain. Be a Mary standing beneath the Cross, eyes fixed on the agony of Jesus!