Go and do likewise: I think it’s safe to say that most Christians could tell an accurate version of this familiar story by heart. Although it may seem like a simple story first taught to us at a young age, its lessons are manifold. Accordingly, it can be hard to distill into one simple lesson. I’d venture to guess that precisely because the story is so familiar, each person who recounts it emphasizes a different component and gleans a different moral. This is the genius of Jesus’ parables; each one is much more than a simple anecdote or allegory. Quite the contrary, Jesus’ parables are vivid and arresting, meant to provoke us into active reflection on our faith.

Often our task as we explore the Word, is to listen to a story we have heard before — maybe even many times before — and listen to it as if for the first time. Today, with a fresh look at the story of the Good Samaritan, we ask: Who are the marginalized people in our community? Who is the one who shows mercy in our community? Where have we felt the wind blowing us to “Go and do likewise?”

What things stood out for you in the readings today?

Jesus tells the story as an answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” What do you think the answer is? Is there more than one?

Prayer: Compassionate God, whose love demands our all: reveal to us our wounds and give us grace to know our neighbour who tends us with foreign hands; through Jesus Christ, the merciful one.  Amen. 

Prayers for an Inclusive Church (2009) alt.