Helping Others

"Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Luke 10:37b

This quote ends the parable Jesus told about the Good Samaritan. Most Christians are familiar with the story. Robbers attacked a man as he traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest came along and, seeing the man, passed by on the other side of the road. A Levite did the same. It was the Samaritan -- a mixed race viewed as inferior by the Jews -- who stopped to help. He bandaged the man's wounds, placed the victim on his own donkey, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to look after the man, promising to reimburse the innkeeper for any extra expense.

The priest and the Levite looked down from their lofty perch as God's chosen people and viewed the Samaritan as inferior to them. Yet it was the Samaritan who showed the kindness and compassion that is a mark of Christianity.

Our country is in a heated debate over health care reform. It pits the Republicans -- who frequently claim the Christian mantle for themselves -- against the Liberal -- and supposedly immoral -- Democrats. The leading industrial nation in the world can't afford to provide health care for the working poor. How sad is that? How can anyone claim to be a Christian and yet cross to the other side of the road and walk on by?

I don't have any answers when it comes to health care reform beyond the obvious need. It's way past time for the Republicans to get off their high road and get down in the trenches to help Democrats formulate a workable plan that would make Jesus proud. Jesus would take care of the working poor. Will we?