Nearly every culture has mystical stories of compassion. One of my favorites is about a wise woman and a precious gem. We’ll hear about her in the sermon this week.
We’ll also listen as Jesus teaches about compassion and what it means to be a neighbor in one of the best-known parables, the Good Samaritan. We all know this timeless tale about a man who is beaten by robbers and left for dead. As the beaten man lay on the side of the road, a priest and a Levite notice the beaten man and pass him by. Then, a known adversary of the injured man, a Samaritan, encounters the wounded man. Filled with compassion, the Samaritan tends to the man’s wounds and brings him to a safe place.
This story captures the essence of what it means to be a neighbor and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We are called to live as Micah taught: “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.”
What draws us to compassion? Are we taught? Is it instinct? Is it a personality trait? Is it a cultural expectation? These are good questions for us to ponder as we listen to the story of the Good Samaritan this week and consider what it means to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.
As Central’s youth prepare for a week on the Flambeau River and in the mountains of Montana, one of the great lessons of summer adventures are lessons in compassion and care for one another. Over the next two weeks, Central’s campers will meet new people, experience new places, and care for one another as they step out of their day-to-day lives. Like the Samaritan, my hunch is that the kids will be moved with compassion to care for one another and embrace a God and church community who cares deeply for them.
Keep all who travel in your prayers this week and next.
See you in church,
Pastor Stephanie