An old woman was rummaging through her handbag for her keys as she stood outside her locked car in the pouring rain. Peering through the locked car window, she saw the very last thing in the world she wanted to see - her car keys, still in the ignition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In exasperation, the lady cried out to the pouring heavens: "Oh Lord! Help me!"
In no time at all, a very rough-looking man was standing next to her and asked with an equally rough voice: "What's the matter?"
"Oh ... um, well, I've accidently locked my car keys inside my car and now there is absolutely no way for me to open the car and get them out."
The rough-looking man took a piece of wire out of his pocket.
He deftly bent the wire and - with the hands and nerves of a surgeon - he slid the wire between the car doors into the car, pulled up the lock and opened her car.
The old woman hugged the man with all her strength and exclaimed with joy: "Oh God! Thank you! In my hour of need, thank you for sending me this Good Samaritan!"
The man looked at the woman awkwardly and said: "Ahh ... miss, I'm actually not good. In fact, I only got out of jail yesterday for stealing cars."
The old woman began to cry, hugged the man again and exclaimed: "Oh, thank you God! You even sent me a professional!"
The ABC reported last week of a public attack on a teenage girl at a service station in Canberra in the presence of about 30 other teenagers.
Many simply filmed the event; none of them offering the girl being assaulted any assistance.
A 35-year-old woman arrived on the scene and sought to help.
The woman witnessed the event when her family stopped for petrol and spotted the commotion.
What is of particular interest is what she noticed about every other adult in the vicinity.
She was stunned that all other members of the public continued to walk by, offering no assistance to the girl being assaulted; a girl the woman described as "tiny".
A lawyer in a crowd once asked Jesus "who is my neighbour?"
Now Jesus, a bit like myself, liked explaining things with stories. So he answered him with this one.
However, there really is no greater love than to sacrifice or risk personal safety - or even your life - for people that you care about. If you doubt me, ask someone who has saved someone else's life. They will soon tell you that the experience of saving a person's life is life-changing for them also.
A man was travelling from one town to another when he got rolled by thugs. They robbed him, stripped him and beat him up "leaving him half dead".
A priest - not me of course - went down this same road.
But when the priest saw the man all bashed up, the priest passed by on the other side.
Then another man, from the tribe from which all the ancient priests were chosen, also walked down this same road.
He looked at the abused man and passed by on the other side, doing nothing to help either.
Then a member of the Samaritan people - a people that Jesus' audience disliked passionately and wouldn't even speak to - was travelling along the same road.
He saw the man all bashed up and was filled with pity. He bandaged up his wounds, took him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day, he gave money to the person running the inn and said: "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend I will pay you back when I return."
We all see and hear about love in music, movies, TV and books every single day.
It's usually fiction, so it may or may not be accurate. However, there really is no greater love than to sacrifice or risk personal safety - or even your life - for people that you care about.
If you doubt me, ask someone who has saved someone else's life. They will soon tell you that the experience of saving a person's life is life-changing for them also. It is even a spiritual experience.
Who is our neighbour? Anyone we can help.
Twitter: @frbrendanelee
