By the Way: When in doubt, be a good samaritan

By Rev. Kristy Reimers-Loader on July 19, 2025.

As I write this, it’s Monday morning.

Last night’s rainfall seems to have scrubbed the air of dust and grime, rendering the detail of everything just a little clearer.

Yesterday’s gospel, featuring the parable of the Good Samaritan, likewise clarifies something I’ve been thinking about for awhile, casting into sharp relief the difference between being a nominal member of the Christian faith, and a follower of Jesus.

Now, you might think these two are absolutely synonymous, but hear me out.

When the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, he paved the way for it to become the dominant religion in the Empire, and later in Europe. Over time, as Christianity gained a foothold in Roman society, Christian leaders found they had to conform in a myriad of ways in order to function as part of the Roman bureaucracy.

For example, the clerical stole worn by many priests today was styled to mimic the scarf worn by Roman imperial officials, signifying the dignity and authority of their positions.

Today, the Christian church has become a monolithic, political institution. Some of its branches struggle under the weight of their own concerns with orthodoxy, doctrine and dogma to the extent that ordinary Christians have sometimes felt the dictates of the institutional church were actually in conflict with the ethical teachings of Jesus.

In Sunday’s gospel, Jesus described the actions of a Samaritan who, when faced with the shocking reality of a man who was beaten and left for dead, didn’t worry about compromising his own ritual purity (as the priest and the Levite in the parable evidently did). He also didn’t let ancient political divisions between Samaria and Jerusalem interfere with his decision to act.

Rather, moved with pity, and prompted by the compassionate and merciful impulse of his own heart, the Good Samaritan did what he could to ensure both the survival and the future well-being of the injured man.

Now, I don’t claim to have all the answers to the questions plaguing people of faith today, but it seems to me that, just as Jesus told this parable to clarify the mission of humanity and the definition of a neighbour to a so-called “expert in the law,” if the rest of us common folk are looking for clear spiritual direction for living a good life, we can scarcely go wrong in following his simple guidance; to remember the Good Samaritan, and “Go and do likewise.”

Chaplain Kristy Reimers-Loader

12
-11