A Reflection on July 15th's Sunday Readings.
Dt 30:10-14, Col 1:15-20, Lk 10:15-37
Have you seen the commentary page from yesterday's newspaper? There is a political cartoon that relates to today's Gospel. There is a man in the clothing of Jesus's time bent over a person on the side of the road. The heading reads "When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion...and took care of him." Nearby a large man with a big belt buckle, cowboy hat, and minutemen on his shirt is shouting, "What about his green card!"
Regardless of your opinion about immigration this cartoon says something significant about today's gospel. Can we serve people who may be different from us?
We will come back to this question. In our society today Stephen R. Covey suggests that there is a prevalent "scarcity mentality." In this mentality people see that there is a limited supply of things and if someone gets more things, then they will get less. In this way of thinking people refuse to help others because they fear there may not be enough for themselves. This is not the way the Samaritan in Jesus' story acted though.
The Samaritan acted with a generousity that reflects an "abundance mentality." He did not worry about a lack of resources but trusted enough to help the person in need. Supportive of this mentality, the first reading reminds us that God's message is already very near to us. We need not look to the sky or across the sea, but God's love spurs our very hearts and mouths. Trusting that God's love is with us maybe we can better love with all our heart, mind, strength, and entire being.
Just as the Samaritan acted with abundant generousity in serving the victim, we too are invited to serve those in need. It is easy for us sometimes to become complacent, to be too busy with our own activities. But might we not be sliding too much into a "scarcity mentality" when we can only rarely help others? Jesus invites us into God's abundance where we can love our neighbor at least as much as ourselves.
There are many opportunities to serve our neighbors. Maybe we can share vegetables with someone who has no garden. We could help someone in an accident by calling the rescue squad and staying with them. We might even serve well by simply being patient with a noisy neighbor. Of course there is more that we can do. We can donate or volunteer with a thrift store or food bank. We can donate blood. We can even listen to someone who just needs a trusted companion. All of these are concrete examples of how to be neighbor to others. The key to the gospel message is that we not just go along passing by but
act in service to our neighbor.
It might be great if we would help the people we see and those we know. But I think there is a greater challenge in our reading today. The Samaritan is an image of God's abundant mercy and love. The Samaritan did not question whether the person deserved help, was of another nation, or might hurt him in some way. The Samaritan looked beyond any faults or sins, forgoing any judgment. He helped the injured man as well as possible without counting the risk involved. He acted with abundant mercy and love.
And we return to our question from before: Can we serve people who may be different from us? Can we extend mercy to those who aren't easy to love, to people from foreign places, from different religions, and those who may have done criminal things? Poor people live in our cities, in Guatemala, and in countries around the world without food and shelter. Fighting continues in Darfur, Sudan and in the Middle East. Can we see with the eyes of God the people who are suffering? How can we act with abundant love and share mercy?--How can we act with abundant love and share mercy?
Going back to the political cartoon from the newspaper. Perhaps in considering immigration, as a nation we should look further than just focusing on how to keep people from coming into the U.S. illegally. Maybe we can also address how to strengthen Mexico's economy, so that people can find good jobs and make a living in their homeland.
Again, how can we act with abundant love and share mercy?
Sign from the Habitat for Humanity build connected with Baptist Crossroads and supported by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis. Reflections on this wonderful trip are on the way. 
