As one who intends to always be an active student — recognizing there will forever be more to learn — I find myself consistently amazed at the truth embedded in stories of faith. I also find that for me, when I’m immediately rejecting of faith, sometimes that’s more about me and my own hangups than it is about any embodiment of truth.
One of the stories that continually challenges my core thinking is the infamous idea of “defining one’s neighbor.” Allow me to briefly share the scenario:
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
“A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’
“What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”
“The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
The part of the story that challenges me is the question of who actually is my neighbor (… well… and, actually, the part about treating him kindly and going out and doing the same…).
But I think about that… “Who’s my neighbor?” Who are we called to be kind to that we struggle with — a question all active students must ask, regardless of adherence to any faith.
Am I kind to the person who looks differently than me?
Am I kind to the person who lives differently than me?
Am I kind to the person who believes differently than me?
Am I kind to the person who behaves differently than me?
Am I kind to the person who votes differently than me?
Am I kind to my neighbor? Or am I intentionally justifying withholding kindness from some?
The reason I find the above teaching so continually challenging, lies in the reality that I am not always kind. Sometimes I justify withholding kindness and respect because of differences in how others look, live, believe, behave, and vote.
Looks like remaining an active student is a wise choice after all.
Respectfully…
AR