Jesus went out of his way to show that the much-hated people of Samaria mattered to him, He went out of his way to lift up the people that had been left behind, marginalized and dehumanizes. He refused to walk by. Reflecting on the Good Samaritan story and Mr. Rogers’ handling of discrimination on his program we are challenged to do the same.
In the parable of the person who is robbed, beaten and left for dead, Jesus picks a controversial hero. He could have picked a less controversial character but he wanted to teach His listeners something important. Something that could speak to our world in 2021.
Often differences among people can lead to division. Our nation in embroiled in racial tension and division in part due to the recent deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor among others. Unity does not just happen; we have to work at it. Rev. Julius Keller asks: what role can we who dare to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ do to bring about healing and reconciliation? What role can our church play in this process?
Sometimes we fear other people. We are worried they might harm us in some way so we are ready to take action to stay safe. Our list of people we fear might include people of different ethnicity, religion or social standing. When we act toward others out of fear our actions are rarely commendable. Horrible acts throughout history have been committed when one person fears another or a whole society fears another society. How do we move from fear to love?
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on September 17, 2017 by Rev. Fred A. Steinberg
