Faye and the Good Samaritan

We are going to have to get a digital camera at church because it would have been worth the cost just to have a picture of Faye getting beat up by Craig, Jim, and two kids and lying woe-is-me on the floor hamming up the one beset by robbers in the Good Samaritan story. Another picture would have been Joanne (the Good Samaritan) dragging Rick (the donkey) down the center aisle by his ear. Lots of fun.

How do we decide who we help in a world full of suffering and requests for help and when? Once more a lot of wisdom from the congregation shared in church.

Here are the end-points of the conversation:

There are two ways to give to others:

Charity

We give because we need to give. Don't count the cost or worry about the consequences. Give and let it go (don't let your right hand know what your left is doing).

Mission

Mission is a call. We care that we are indeed helping. It demands relationship and love as the foundation of action and will almost always implicate us in a justice issue.

Ted's Rule #634 of the Spiritual Journey.

Always open your heart when there is suffering, But only do what you are called to do. Corralary: if you aren’t doing what God is calling you to do, you are getting in the way. If you are doing more than God is calling you to do, you are getting in the way.