In Luke 10, we hear the story of the Good Samaritan – a classic story most know of an expert in the law asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” After hearing the tale of the Samaritan who had mercy on the man who was robbed, the man is told by Jesus, “go and do likewise.” In effect, he is told, “go, and be a neighbor to all.”
As a Global Mission Fellow, I serve with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project based in Seattle, Washington. In the last year or so in our nation, we have seen a drastic increase in violent immigration enforcement, and sometimes it can feel as though we have completely forgotten how to be neighbors to each other. We don’t see those in power protecting the vulnerable, and we even see neighbors turn on each other because of ideological differences. Here in Seattle, we have witnessed immigration agents illegally detaining people both at the immigration courts and on the streets. We have seen this across the country, and some of us have seen our friends, family members, or even people we go to church with support these actions.
What do we do?
In my community, I have been very blessed to be surrounded and supported by people who are dedicated to this mission of going and doing likewise, both at my placement site with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and with my local church community. Recently, some folks in my neighborhood have begun to gather and discuss different strategies to organize, such as rapid response training, building mutual aid networks, and sharing resources with each other. It is still in its early stages, yet the very fact that people care and are interested in learning how to be a neighbor speaks volumes.
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to respond to the suffering in the world in a way that is meaningful, but just as the Good Samaritan shows us, the first step is to show up and acknowledge what is happening.
As the church, we are called to be God’s hands and feet in the world, and God is continually drawing us back to this through the life of Christ. When we look at the cumulative message of Christ’s actions and teachings of his life, we can trust that he was not being metaphorical when he said, “Go and do likewise.” God beckons us into a life together, into wholeness, and that requires us to show compassion and mercy to all who are vulnerable. During this Lenten season of fasting and contemplation, it is good to reflect on how this lifelong call to be God’s people requires something of us. Just as the Samaritan saved the man who he was ideologically opposed to, we are not to put limits on whom we care for.
Prayer
Holy One, we thank you for this season of Lent in which we can slow down and reflect on your call in our lives to go and do likewise for our neighbors. Forgive us for the times that we have failed in this mission through our complicity, our inaction, or our ignorance. We pray that you continue to call us deeper into Your Love and empower us to live out Your way that requires us to set aside our comforts and prejudices to care for all people who cross our paths. Guide us on our path and transform us in your unending grace. Amen.
Miriam Safford is a Global Mission Fellow US-2 from Illinois serving in Seattle, Washington, with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP). NWIRP promotes justice by defending and advancing the rights of immigrants through direct legal services, systemic advocacy, and community education.
