Two Sundays ago our Pastor used the scriptural story about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). There was a severely injured man on the roadside. Two priest/temple workers came by but hurried to other meetings they had to attend. A third man, a Samaritan, walked up and bound up the injured man’s wounds and took him to a place of continued care, even paying for his upkeep. Jesus asked the hearers; who did the right thing? Their answer was, the one who showed mercy! Why was the Samaritan such a disliked fellow? This man was once a Jew. When Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. the majority of the Jews were killed, taken captive or escaped to other cities. These escapees became Samaritans for they married non-Jewish women and were considered only partial Jews. They did not worship God or continue any practices known by the Jews. When Ezra and Nehemiah were sent to rebuild the temple 70 years later, these folks wanted to help in the reconstruction but were not allowed. In Jesus’ story, the Jewish leaders failed to help this man’s need, which was survival. 600 years before, survival meant finding a new homeland. Here, this half-Jew did the work of the church in caring for the wounded man’s needs. The Jews failed their Godly responsibility but it took the willingness of an unappreciated man to show them their mistake. Forgiveness is a most powerful tool, it is what the World needs and what God offers. Instead of striving for personal wealth we could strive to be God’s helper in healing attitudes that clash.