I began last week on a real
downer! Jesus’ “Nazareth Manifesto” (Luke 4:16-21) sparked a string of
consciousness that focused on feelings of total inadequacy in trying to
minister with integrity to the poor (integrity meaning to do so without judging
whether they are worthy!)
Today I turn my attention to the
Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and, while my initial thoughts
may seem as heavy and discouraging as last week’s, I have found some real hope
in my follow-up reading on the parable.
The parable comes in response to
a Pharisee’s question, (verse 29): “And, who is my neighbor?” The text says he was
attempting to justify himself. The exact intent of the self-justification is
not clear, but I’m guessing it was rooted in the question, “What’s the least I
have to do to comply with this ‘love-thy-neighbor-as-thyself thing?” In other
words, “Who am I required to love, and who is it OK for me not to love?” It’s
about how to avoid responsibility.
I suspect Jesus perceived
exactly what the Pharisee meant when he made a Samaritan the hero of the story!
Aside from perhaps the Roman occupation troops, there was no ethnic or cultural
population the Jews hated more than the Samaritans!
Once again, Jesus zeroes in on
the “least” of God’s children (Matthew 25:40, 45) and says, “Love them.” Maybe
“least” means those we least want to
love. And we can always find justifications for passing by on the other side of
the road:
“It’s
not my job; I’m just responsible to the consumer. It’s not my job; I am just a
consumer. It’s not my job; I’m not breaking any laws or rules. It’s not my job;
that’s why they have boards of directors. It’s not my job; it would be too
inconvenient or expensive to stop and help. And hey, if a few people do get
hurt along the way, are there not some Good Samaritans around who will take
care of them? Isn’t that why we have faith-based and charity organizations?”[1]
But there are encouraging signs!
There are many Good Samaritans walking along the road now—especially from the
younger generations! Many are not “religious”, meaning organized religion; but
almost all of them are “spiritual,” (whatever that means) and their
spirituality is manifest in the way they respond to “the least” of God’s
children. To them, integrity of faith trumps correctness of doctrine!
Many in our younger generations
are deciding to live out the Good Samaritan ethic to a radical degree,
affirming that there are no “non-neighbors” in this world. For them, neighbor
is not defined by color, creed, religion or borders; indeed, we all are God’s
children and need to be treated fairly. That radical idea is spreading as a
spiritual foundation for a growing population among Generations “X” and “Y” (people
born between 1965 and 2000). For them, the Good Samaritan ethic has no
boundaries and is global in scope!
In my reading over the past
couple of years, I continually run across references to groups and
organizations that focus and give concrete expression to the Good Samaritan
Ethic. Writers representing essentially the whole ideological spectrum share stories
and vignettes about these groups—some of which emerge out of political activism
and some of which have specifically Christian roots from Evangelicalism to
Mainline Protestantism to the more entrepreneurial Mega-Churches. But a
significant number of these groups represent no recognized religious or
political organization. They are comprised of what Thomas G. Bandy calls the “spiritually
yearning, institutionally disillusioned public;”[2]
and their age demographic is “young” (basically under forty-five!)
The visions and purposes
represented by these groups are as varied as their backgrounds. Some are purely
political pressure groups. Some exist to offer benevolent help to the needy,
from the homeless in inner cities to African or Asian tribes devastated by
famine. And some work to hold businesses accountable for their ethical
practices, including their supply chains.
Fortune 500 companies
increasingly are being scrutinized under an ethical microscope, in some cases,
for instance, to ensure that American businesses aren’t putting money into the
hands of violent militias and that the natural resources and wealth of a given
nation benefits the people who live there. Foreign “sweatshops” and child labor
are especially targeted by these ethical watchdog groups. And they are having a
major impact on the way businesses interact with their supply chains, both
domestic and foreign.
My own granddaughter, a high
school junior, recently returned from a church-sponsored “International Affairs
Seminar” held in Washington, D.C. and New York. The seminar is an annual event
designed to expose youth to issues of global justice and compassion for those
on the margins of society. The intent is to prepare them for mature faith and
global worldviews. My granddaughter came back with a passion to confront human trafficking.
Given all the above (and I’ve
hardly scratched the proverbial surface of the catalogue of groups engaged in justice
and compassion advocacy!) I’m greatly encouraged about the future of our
increasingly globalized humanity. And that encouragement emerges directly out
of the the population Generations writers
William Strauss and Neil Howe call “Generation X”. Strauss and Howe
characterize “X’ers” as having a deeper spirituality and a deeper commitment to
family than did their parents’ generation, “The Boomers.” While their
spirituality does not fit traditional Christian patterns, the references above
suggest that it does, indeed, align with the spirituality and values of the One
for whom Christianity is named. That’s most encouraging!
Together in the
Walk,
Pastor Jim
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