WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? (A DIFFERENT VETERANS’ DAY SERMON)

36"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

We don’t hear this parable of the Good Samaritan as Jesus’ listeners heard it.

We are not offended by it.

The story we hear is about doing good.

We have even adopted the phrase “Good Samaritan” to describe the act of helping someone in need.

When Jesus told this story of the Good Samaritan his audience being fellow Jews would have gasped at the ending of the story.

Most likely they would have walked away angry that such a infidel… such racial and religious inferior… could be the hero of the story.

They would have never admitted or agreed that a Samaritan could be there neighbor.

Never.

For 500 years, Jews in Israel never forgot how the Samaritans opposed their return to Jerusalem.

They hated them.

Their fathers hated them.

Their Grandfathers hated them.

For 500 years.

The challenge then for us is to hear this story of the Good Samaritan in a way that offends us… or at the least makes us uncomfortable.

Let’s give it a try.

The drive up I-71 was taking longer then Habib had planned.

He would be late for the unit’s meeting at the Mosque.

The notice to gather had been in his Inbox for a week and he had known when the meeting would happen.

But the days had been busy and full and he had walked out of his office door at the university intending to go home… when his cell phone had gone off with a reminder.

He had hurriedly gathered himself…

made a quick call to his wife to tell her of his last minute change of plans… and jumped into his Lexus and started up the interstate.

Habib was careful to keep right at 63 mph.

It was not good in these times for a Muslim to break any laws or misbehave in such a way to draw attention to himself… especially as he was driving in a hard and steady rain.

While his attention to the speed limit might have been exemplary to the Ohio State Highway Patrol… it was drawing derision and laughter from a car of teenagers that began to tailgate him.

They would swerve like they were going to pass him… then drop back and bump his rear fender slightly to harass him.

Habib did not know whether it was his lack of speed… or the turban he wore… or his nationality that brought on this attack.

Whatever the reason… the threatening car and its erratic driver continued their bob and weave… pass and bump tactics for some 10 miles.

The inevitable finally occurred.

The teenage driven car swerved too close for Habib to ignore.

He hit his brakes to let the other car pass… but they locked up and he began spinning wildly.

The spinning stopped when Habib hit a mile marker sign that sent the car rolling over several times

Barely conscious… Habib knew he was bleeding and felt pain everywhere on his body.

The teenagers had never even slowed down,

Lying there… Habib‘s mind immediately turned to the words of the Koran.

"Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)

"Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)

"Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil.

He raised his voice… as loudly as his feeble vocal chords would allow… and lifted his prayers to Allah. Habib could not tell whether or not he was facing east… but hoped Allah would hear and answer… and send a rescuer.

……….

Peter’s mind was alive with excitement.                            The Rainbow Coalition meeting had succeeded his expectations. For the first time as a campus minister that he could remember… gays and lesbians and straights had talked for over 2 hours without rather shouting. Even more incredibly… they had listened… listened to the hopes and fears of their opposites. Maybe there was hope for the Kingdom yet.

Out of the corner of his eye… Peter saw a car turned upside down. He slowed down to see if he could spot any of the passengers. No one was visible. As he lowered his window he could hear a faint sound. It sounded weird… foreign.

Peter had no medical training and felt queasy at the first sight of blood. 

 He recalled he had seen a state patrol car parked several miles back. And was sure he had seen it pull onto the highway and turn in his direction. No doubt the Patrolmen would spot the accident and render the needed help. Peter drove on knowing someone would do what he could not.

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No help came. Allah did not answer. Habib tried twisting his face so he could be certain that he was facing east. But the pain in his body refused him. All he could so was lie and wait. And pray.

____________

Why did he ever become a bishop? Why was he so foolish to think that he could make a difference in the church?

David was sure that God was rolling on his sides in laughter at the sight of David’s poor attempts: provoking congregations into action… putting out fires that straying clergy were constantly causing… raising consciousness about poverty and racism and peacemaking.

No one heard. No one listened. Not even God.

In the midst of his pity party… David saw the overturned car. He immediately braked… got out of the car… leaving his umbrella inside despite the rain… and started for the wrecked automobile.

He came to a stop when he heard the singing of prayers. Islam. Words from the Koran. David had attended enough inter-faith meetings to recognize the chant and cadence of the prayer. Allah was being asked for help… for rescue.

Listening to the prayers gave David a second thought… froze him on the spot. Was he the answer to the man’s prayers. Was Allah sending him to help? Maybe it was a signal… maybe it was a trap!

David turned slowly to detect any sounds or movements around him. He heard nothing more. David realized the safest and prudent thing at this moment would be to get back in his car and call someone on his cell phone and call for help.

But how could he explain his fears and suspicions. He could hear the ON-Star operator tell her colleagues about this weird call… it would be the talk at the lunch room for weeks. Better to let a stronger and better equipped person deal with this.

________________

Habib was certain he had heard footsteps. But now nothing. He was being abandoned. Left alone to die in the rain on the side of the road. Allah was good. Allah was waiting. Perhaps it was time to start his journey home.

_______________

Ellen wiped away the tears that came once more. It had been 7 months since Brad’s funeral and she was still crying… still hurting… still grieving. To be a widow at 35 was too young… maybe at every age it was too young to be a widow.

She saw the overturned car and slowed to a halt off the beam of the highway. Ellen opened the door… grabbed her medical bag and sprinted in the rain to the wreck. She could hear the moans and saw blood everywhere.

As gently and carefully as she could… Ellen pulled the man free of his car. He got tangled up by his headdress… so she cradled his head as she unwound it to get a better look at his face and wounds. She heard the man gasp.

_____________

Habib gasped in horror. He had been defiled. This… this woman had defiled him. Not only had she touched him… not only was she uncovered… now she had undressed his head. He was defiled.

_______

Ellen shifted into auto-pilot. She felt for his pulse and found a strong heart beat. She pulled out a hypodermic… filled it with morphine to dull some of his pain… then realized a IV would be better.

But where to find one in the middle of a rainstorm of the side of I-71. Then she remembered she had a water bottle in her car and turned to retrieve it.

As she stood… something in the injured man’s car caught her eye. It was a flag. Their flag. The flag of the Taliban. The flag of the allies of the Al-Qaeda. The flag of the enemy

“You”… Ellen screamed…” “ You murdering son of….” She spit out the words. “You murdered my husband.” Just outside Kabul… a mortar shell had hit her husband’s Humvee… killing Brad instantly.

“I ought to...” Ellen started to say… The man had tried to raise his hands in self-defense… but could only utter a feeble cry. Then the man lapsed into unconsciousness.

Ellen responded immediately.

“You’re not gong to die on me you murdering…” Ellen said defiantly.

She raced to her car… grabbed the water bottle and other needed items for a make-shift IV and turned to go back to the injured man.

She spotted one other item and grabbed it to take with her.

Ellen worked furiously to construct the IV and got water and nutrients into the man’s veins. Then she flipped open her cell phone.

“Medic One… Dr. Davis-Perkins… over.”

“Medic One… what’s up Elly…over?”

“Have trauma accident at,” she paused to locate a mile-marker… then spotted it twisted up in the twisted front bumper of the wrecked car… ” mile 88 northbound on I-71, Need Care flight stat.”

“Copy. Gotcha Elly. Medic One on the way. ETA 20 minutes. Over.”

“I’ll stay with him til you get here.”

Habib felt himself come back to life. It was still raining. The woman who had defiled him stood over him. Then he heard land a terrific noise and saw something land several yards away. Men in blue and white put him on a stretcher and lifted him onto Medic One. He turned to see the woman talk briefly to one of the men.

It was then Habib realized that he was clutching something in his hands. He lifted it to see what it was.

To his horror and amazement it was the picture of 2 American soldiers… a man and a woman. Both had several medals and officers’ insignia… and what Habib recognized as the symbols of a medical person.

_______

Ellen ended the call after describing the accident victim’s vitals and condition to the attending in the ER. The ER physician turned to the nurse beside him. ” That is one lucky guy …”

“How?” asked the nurse incredulously!

“Think of the odds… to be injured on I-71… and the person who comes to your rescue is a decorated combat surgeon.

Ellen walked back to her car… started it up… and resumed her ride home. She could not determine if her face was soaked with rain or tears.

She drove home… one more cold night… in a cold house with cold pizza.

_______

6"What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?"

 37"The one who treated him kindly," the religion scholar responded.

   Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

Amen.