December 26,2006

The Good Samaritan

A month back, a friend of mine who lives in a very cold part of the USA had told me that she was rapidly running out of wood which she needed for heating her small home. Not only that, but her chain saw had broken and she had no way to get it fixed. Two very major problems when you're on a fixed income and the average nightly temperature is below zero. This same person isn't a Christian and has had a bunch of negative run-ins with folks who say that they are Christians. Very unfortunate. It's not like I could just run up there and cut wood for her..but I asked her if it was OK with her if I asked other Christians to give her some help.."sure."

I looked online and found a non-denominational church 7 miles from her place..I called them..talked with the Pastor.and explained that here was an opportunity to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk"..that a woman alone had a dire need of some help which could be taken care of fairly easily by a few people..she HAD the wood, she simply couldn't get it cut. How about a few folks helping her out and then perhaps, just perhaps, they MIGHT also be of good Christian witness to her so that she'd see that not ALL Christians are like the ones that she'd met before? The Pastor sounded very nice..he said he'd have to meet with his "elder board", but that he was sure they could do something to help her out.
A week went by and nothing happened. A second phone call, and another assurance that they're "meeting about it."

I called another buddy of mine who lives 1000 miles away from the woman. Now THIS man is a Christian man who "gets it." His response was to jump in his truck with two chain saws and drive the 1000 miles. He spent a week there, cutting wood and fixing up anything that the woman had which needed fixing. He refused anything except homecooked meals, and conversation in return.

When he left, the woman had 3 full months of stacked and split wood, AND a brand new chain saw.

It's been over a month and still not one word from the church 7 miles away from her home. and yet, she knows a little more now than she did weeks ago about how "real" Christianity works. When she asked the man "WHY did you drive 2000 miles round trip just to see to it that I had enough wood to heat my house and had a chain saw that I can use?" His answer was, "Jesus said to "Love your neighbor as yourself." "

The parable of the Good Samaritan comes to mind..local people heard of her need and "passed by", ignoring her. Yet the good Samaritan..a simple man who has no fame, no fortune, takes a week's vacation from his own job and spends his own savings to help a person who is a total stranger to himself..asking nothing in return.

May we ALL be modern "Good Samaritans" every time that we have the opportunity to help those in need.

SBG