Here’s
a contemporary telling of the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). You may want to change the names of the
locations to suit your geographical setting.
The Good Samaritan
(based on Jesus’
parable in Luke 10:25-37)
Now
on the way from Morden to Winnipeg
a
young mother was assaulted
by
poverty, by fear, by depression,
by
her husband’s unfaithfulness.
She
was left abandoned, her children fatherless,
Her
privacy bartered in exchange for a welfare cheque.
Too
weary to go on, she lay, waiting for help.
Some
good church people came by and said,
“Get
up and get going,
God
loves you so you shouldn’t worry.”
Some
nice community people remained aloof and whispered,
“Don’t
play with her children.
She’s
on welfare, you know.”
Then
a neighbour from up the street came in,
a
neighbour with a history that others whispered about,
an
outcast who had no husband
and
who’s children named no father.
She
didn’t give advice and so in a subtle way, condemn.
She
said, instead, “Come and have coffee with me,”
and
“Let’s go shopping today”
and
“Show me how you made that casserole.”
In
doing so she helped to bind the wounds,
and
restore faith and self-esteem,
until
the young mother was able to be on her way again.
~
written by Ruth Johnston. Posted in the From Our Churches archive on the
Mennonite Church Canada Resource Centre website. http://resources.mennonitechurch.ca/FileDownload/12974/The_Good_Samaritan.pdf
