Preaching: Rev. Stephen M. Fearing
The familiar parable of the Good Samaritan takes on profound new meaning during Lent as we explore what it means to move between stranger and neighbor in a post-pandemic world. This powerful sermon connects Jesus's ancient teaching to our current reality, where COVID-19 has dramatically reshaped how we view others – often turning us into hyper-individualists who see strangers primarily as threats rather than potential neighbors.
Drawing on Martin Luther King Jr.'s revolutionary interpretation of this parable, we're challenged to think beyond individual acts of mercy to systemic change. King famously said he was "tired of picking up people along the Jericho Road" and instead wanted to "fix the Jericho Road" – to pave it, add streetlights, and make it safe passage for everyone. This distinction between charity (love for a moment) and justice (love extended into the future) transforms how we understand Jesus's command to "go and do likewise."
The sermon introduces the powerful Greek word "splagnizomai" – literally meaning "my insides hurt" – which describes the Samaritan's compassion that compelled him to act. This visceral response to others' suffering is precisely what Christ calls us to cultivate, especially when voices around us treat compassion as weakness. We're invited to discover where our own "splagnizomai" leads us, finding the intersection between our passion and the world's needs through partnerships with local organizations addressing everything from food insecurity to immigration, homelessness, LGBTQ+ rights, and medical debt. When we engage in this sacred work, we discover that the line between stranger and neighbor blurs, exactly as Jesus taught. How might your church become not just a destination people come to, but a springboard from which people go out to make our communal Jericho roads safer for everyone?
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