The Good Samaritan is a story I'm very familiar with and one I try and emulate as much as possible. It's part of my heart's mission to see all people for who they are, in their good moments, their bad, and every step in between. And, because it's something I feel so comfortable with, I wasn't sure what, if anything, Tim would have to say that would be new or different.
Boy, was I wrong.
Tim unpacked so much in such a short time, but the part that has stuck with me? "Broken stories become beautiful stories. Stories have power. You have to be careful with other people's stories." Instead of talking just about the Samaratin, Tim talked about the person who had been beaten and left for dead. He was broken, bruised, and all alone in the world. And, despite his brokenness, he was also helped, hoped for, and rescued. His broken story became one of the most beautiful stories in scripture - a story about taking care of your neighbor, about not walking away from hard moments, and a story about what should be ordinary kindness being more important than where you're from or the prejudices that might be passed down from generation to generation.
I encourage you to read the story of the Good Samaritan one more time. Instead of putting yourself in the shoes of the Samaritan, put yourself in the broken body of that traveler and think about the kindness he received - and how you can do the same for your neighbor.