I read to my kids Alicia 9 and Adam 7 on Monday night from their children's Bible about the good
Samaritan. A man who was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho was attached by robbers. He was robbed, beaten, and left lying naked and half dead on the side of the road. First a priest and then a Levite, one who worked in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem came down the same road, but both turned away their faces and closed their ears to the cries, wailing, and faint moaning for help from the man... Whew, what awful religiosity and haughty hypocritical attitude towards a man in desperate need of immediate attention. Then comes the Samarian or the Samaritan, the foreigner, in the eyes of the Jews the despised syncretistic mixed religion man. The Samaritan pours wine and oil in the wounds, binds, and takes the man on his donkey to an inn. The Samaritan cares for the jinxed man and settles his bills etc... We (the kids and I) talked for a long time before prayers and kisses about being a "true disciple" so to say... What a wonderful story, please read Luke 10:30-37, that teaches us who are true "neighbor" is as well as love and mercy in action and not just nice polished words and theory!
I have meditated on this Jesus story or parable for three days now... The story about the love and compassion shown by the Samaritan really gripped me and will not let go. Neither will the priest and Levite that just neglected and passed by, closing their ears to the cries and prayers from the assaulted let go of me. Whew. Jesus help us to hear the cry and wailing from the people in Stockholm in need of help!
My kids after a "mud war" in Namalu, Uganda a couple of years ago.
We want to build a church downtown that "not just passes by on the road" but one that hears, acts, pays for and shows true care, love, and mercy. Who will be next in line to be saved? Who will be baptized the next time? Who's life will be the next to be transformed?
A Swedish disciple unexpectedly shows a Somali refugee hospitality and love. A Persian man cares for a man from Iraq or a man from Bosnia caring for a man from Serbia despite the long ranging conflicts and war between the different ethnicities. An international church is emerging! SOS Church is seeing the light of day! The good Samaritan is showing up on the streets of Stockholm.
See ya!
