May 31, 2020: Get Off Your Ass and Do Something – Michael Hidalgo

One of Jesus’ most famous parables is about The Good Samaritan. Most people know it well, but what is often missed is the set up to the story. Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment, and he follows up talk of loving God, with practicing love for our neighbor. It is then Jesus is asked, “And who is my neighbor?” In other words, “And who do I have to love?” Jesus then launches into the story of a man who gets robbed, beaten and left for dead. He is on the side of road looking dead when a couple of religious people walk past, and eventually a Samaritan helps the poor guy out. Jesus concludes by asking, “Who is the neighbor?”

In doing so he turns the original question around. Instead of asking, “Who should I love?” Jesus points toward the reality that the practice of loving others is what it means to be a neighbor. For us then, it is not a question of who we should love, but are we loving others? This is the challenge in this story - and the challenge we face in our context today.