This past week I have been reflecting a lot on the parable of the Good Samaritan. As most of us can recall, it is about a man who was robbed, beat up on the side of the road, and left for dead. Three men come along this road and the first two, a Priest and a Levite (both religious figures), decide to cross the street and ignore the man while the third, a Samaritan (a cultural outcast), decides not only to check on the man and bandage him up, but pays for the man to receive further care. We can all walk away from this story in Sunday School with the good moral lesson of helping ones neighbor; but how often do we put this into action? And are we just like the religious scholar who spent some much time questioning Jesus on ‘who is our neighbor’ instead of actually doing it?
In the parable, the Priest and the Levite were both characters who one would assume would have helped the man on the side of the road; but they both crossed the street trying to avoid him. I think I have always thought of them of just not having the heart to help. But, if that were the case, why did they cross the street? If they had no feelings toward this man, they would have no problem walking right past him without even noticing him; but they did notice him. “Maybe they were late for meetings; maybe they thought someone else would be a better source of help. But surely they at least felt sorry for the man, right?’ Perhaps. But it was only the Samaritan whose heart went out to the man and who took action on that heart tug. Because of the Samaritan’s hands-dirty work, the man by the side of the road received medical help and was cared for in ways he could not have accomplished on his own. He was given hope. This isn’t just a story about being nice to your neighbor or even merely a story about determining who is your neighbor. It’s a story about doing the work of God’s kingdom – the work that leads to hope. The work that leads to life (Davis, 91).”
Being here in Swazi I find myself constantly surrounded by need, and not the “I need a new ipod because mine is out of space” need. What I’m seeing are basic human needs that I was taught everyone should have: “I need food. I need clothes. I need a place to sleep.” Trying to obey this parable in a land of obvious need is so overwhelming it can become almost paralyzing. I look at every “neighbor” I come in contact with and want to help. But, over the last few years I’ve come to learn my role in these situations and how I can help by bringing them to the ministries in the community that are here for the long haul. It is definitely hard at times, and a lot of times heartbreaking, but I know that the work we do here is pleasing to the Lord. But there is still that part of me which struggles with wanting to jump in to every situation and meet every need.
As you all know, my team is only here for three months, and we are on a tight budget. Being able to meet financial needs in the community is not why we are here. But the other night God gave Erica, Sydney, and I a “Good Samaritan” moment. It was Wednesday night and Erica and Sydney were down at Pastor Gift’s house with a group of the girls for a night of fellowship. One of our translators came to the house and told me Pastor Gift needed to see me. When I got to the house he pulled me outside with one of the GoGo’s (grandmothers) from one of our weekly care-points. He was explaining to me that there was a woman at her house with AIDS and cervical cancer. Her family had been saving up money to send her to a hospital in South Africa, but the pain was getting so bad that they had an immediate need to get her to a closer clinic. This Gogo was asking me to drive this woman to a clinic about an hour away. I found myself in a hard place, and immediately pulled Erica and Sydney outside. Everything inside of me wanted to take this woman to the clinic, but what about all the other people we’ve turned away with very similar requests? And are we being wise with spending gas money and have two of us leave the team for the day to drive this woman? In the midst of all these questions in my head I continued to hear God over and over again saying “she is your neighbor”. The three of us leaders quickly and unanimously agreed we had the means to be able to do this.
In the morning Erica and I went and picked up this woman, Angeline, from her homestead around 6:30am. When we arrived at the house it was like any other house we had been to – kids playing in the front, 3-4 houses next to each other, and cows and guinea fowl walking around. We pulled the car up an unlevel path to the farthest house, to pick up Angeline. Within seconds, three Gogos were in the car making a “bed” in the middle of the van. There was a foam mattress and blankets with a pillow. Then they re-entered the house and came back out carrying Angeline to the car. She was too sick to walk, even to lift her head, and looked like she was in constant pain with her eyes fighting back tears. The Gogos loaded her into the car and then followed her into the back seat. Once everyone was in I had to slowly navigate myself down the uneven road to make sure it wasn’t too bumpy for her in the back.
The drive to the clinic was pretty smooth and we made it in about an hour. We parked in front of the entrance and pulled a gurney around to load her onto. Once Angeline was out of the car, the Gogo’s wheeled her to the large crowd of people lining up all the way outside to receive medical care. The clinic staff wouldn’t let Erica and I wait with them so we parked the car outside and waited. For the next 4 hours we found mini-adventures to occupy our time, but my midday we were called back to the clinic for pick-up. Luckily Angeline was able to stay at the clinic, and after unloading the car of blankets and a little food to keep with her, we drove the Gogo’s back home.
It was when we dropped them off that I truly started to feel the weight of what we just did. Angeline’s father came out to our car and thanked us over and over for what we did. The look of gratitude in his eyes was so pure and genuine. In that moment I felt the emotions of the day. What felt like another day for us was in reality a life changing day for Angeline. That morning, at 7am, we were her ambulance. We were able to take this woman who was suffering to people who could relieve the pain (even if only for a little while).
The woman “by the side of the road” received medical help and was cared for in ways we could not have accomplished on our own. She was given hope.
My prayer for myself and for really anyone who calls themselves a Christian is that we open our eyes, see the people who God has put on the road before us, and choose to not cross the street. I pray we would be aware of immediate needs in front of us and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit in how we should respond and share the hope that is the Kingdom of God.
*Davis, Tom. Red Letters.
