Changing Our Perspective

Today as we begin, I want to invite you to use your imaginations.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking along Marietta Ave. If that does not seem possible in your physical condition, imagine your body without issues or pain. Just walking along the road – enjoying the scenery – the sky is bright blue with only a few soft, wispy clouds. There are no cars on the road, so you are free to look at the trees as they reach towards the sky and hold their leaves toward the sun. The only thing you hear are a few birds singing and a soft breeze blowing. Notice how your body feels in this moment. Are you relaxed? Are you content? Are you at peace?

And then you see something on the side of the road ahead of you. As you begin to look more closely, you realize it is a young child who has fallen and is hurt. But there are no other adults in sight. Notice how your body feels in this moment. Is there some anxiety? Is any part of you tightening? Do you want to help the child?

Now imagine the person is an African American man. Notice your body. Did the feeling in your body change?

Now imagine the person as an older woman. Notice how your body feels. What are you feeling now?

I was inviting you to a contemporary scene for our scripture today. In the scenario I created, you were in the role of the priest, Levite, or Samaritan. When you hear this scripture, where do you see yourself? Generally speaking, many of us want to be the Samaritan that helps, because we want to be “the Good One.” whoMost of us want to be the hero of our own stories!

But what if we are the one who crosses the road and passes by? Or what if we are the one who is injured and our perceived “enemy” stops to help us? Do we accept the help? Or are we really the lawyer, hedging our bets, to find a way around being compassionate to all? If we looked honestly at your life, who would you be?

I read a commentary on this scripture that named the traveler as Jewish, but that is not in the text.

By telling us he was traveling alone on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, it is saying that he was in a dangerous area – physically and maybe spiritually. So the early listeners would not have been surprised that he was beaten and robbed.

The story tells us that the priest and the Levite “saw” the injured person, and both crossed to the other side of the road. Many have speculated about why they crossed, but we don’t know. We don’t know if they felt they didn’t have time, as there were other more important matters to attend to. Or they didn’t want to become “unclean” by any blood present, although the story doesn’t speak of blood. Or they didn’t want to get caught up dealing with a dead body.

But the surprise in the parable is that a Samaritan stopped and helped. The perceived “enemy” is the “Good One.” This is a good time to remember that this is Luke’s gospel And he also had Jesus tell us in 6:27 “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you;”

In our contemporary time, can you imagine an Israeli being helped by a Palestinian? What if a person with MAGA hat was helped by an LGBTQ person? Or the other way around in either of these scenarios?

This is the last thing the lawyer wanted to hear! The lawyer came to Jesus to test him and yet the lawyer is the one who is really tested, as are we. Who would we help? Who would we want to pass by?

This week, I started listening to the new podcast “The Permanent Questions with David Brooks” which is asking some of the big questions of life.

This first episode asked “What is the Good Life?” with Notre Dame philosophy professor Meghan Sullivan. In the episode, they spoke of Iris Murdoch, who realized one day that she had free will and the ability to change her mind about someone who really annoyed her. And they talked about French mystic Simone Weil (Vay) who believed that giving one’s full attention to another is the highest form of prayer and love.

And I think today’s scripture also answers this question. If we are looking for the “Good Life” or the “Virtuous Life” then the answer is quite simple, “Love the Lord your God with all of your being and your neighbor as yourself.” Be the one who shows mercy – Be the one who acts with compassion.

Not the one who follows the religious tradition to the “t.” Not the one who just wants to tell others how they should live, but “get your hands dirty” by being present to those around you. Notice the times others are hurt – physically, verbally, or emotionally. Notice the things people say that are hurtful or cruel and tell them you hear it that way, not it a snotty, loud, or demeaning way. But speak from your heart and give them the benefit of the doubt that they didn’t mean it to come off the way it did.

But don’t be complicit and ignore it or we are no different than the Levite and the priest leaving the problem for someone else.

Remember… Christ’s call on us is to be about “Compassionate Justice,” Which is exactly what the Samaritan did. “Go and do likewise!”

May it be so. Amen.
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