Tuesday
Nov172009
November 17, 2009 The Man Who Helped
"Down and around. Down and around. Down and around. A man was walking down a hill.
Some bad men saw him coming. They hit him. They took his clothes. They took his pennies. Then they ran away."
So begins the story of the Good Samaritan as I first heard it: as The Man Who Helped, in a book I still know by heart. It's a simple story: someone gets into unexpected trouble. The people who are supposed to help him, don't. Along comes a stranger who, literally and figuratively, gets him back on his feet. Simple; extraordinary.
It was a gift to hear this story anew on Sunday morning as we began our 40-day fast in preparation for Christmas. It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae of fasting -- scouring labels for whey protein and consulting the calendar eagerly to see if we are allowed a glass of wine with dinner. We forget what it's all about: being good people. Supporting and loving others. Imitating Christ.
May your holidays this season be true holidays -- days filled with holiness. Blessings to you all.
Some bad men saw him coming. They hit him. They took his clothes. They took his pennies. Then they ran away."
So begins the story of the Good Samaritan as I first heard it: as The Man Who Helped, in a book I still know by heart. It's a simple story: someone gets into unexpected trouble. The people who are supposed to help him, don't. Along comes a stranger who, literally and figuratively, gets him back on his feet. Simple; extraordinary.
It was a gift to hear this story anew on Sunday morning as we began our 40-day fast in preparation for Christmas. It's easy to get caught up in the minutiae of fasting -- scouring labels for whey protein and consulting the calendar eagerly to see if we are allowed a glass of wine with dinner. We forget what it's all about: being good people. Supporting and loving others. Imitating Christ.
May your holidays this season be true holidays -- days filled with holiness. Blessings to you all.
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