"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."  Mother Teresa

This past Sunday’s scripture story was the Good Samaritan….a familiar story, even if you haven’t attended church much. We often see the term "good Samaritan" used in newspaper stories of people who help strangers in dangerous situations, sometimes to their own peril, other times to great reward. Someone’s car is stalled by the side of the road and a stranger stops to help them. A simple enough act. Another human being sees someone in distress and their reaction is to come to their aid….for a variety of reasons.

It is a story that has been heard at church for so long that it is easy to not fully listen, to daydream through hearing the familiar words. It goes like this….. A man is attacked by robbers, beaten and left for dead. Two people pass by and don’t want to get involved…..for a variety of reasons. Another person happens by and the text says "his heart goes out to him" and he bandages the wounds and takes the injured man to an inn and pays for his care and lodging. As far as we can tell from the story, the Samaritan has no desire for reward or recognition….he simply follows his heart.

Jesus tells this story in response to two questions: "What must we do to have life, eternally?" and "Who is my neighbor?" The question we might ask is, who was most transformed by what happened….the injured person or the Samaritan? Through the events of this story, whose life was changed the most….the injured person or the Samaritan…….who was really ‘saved’ here?

We can go through our daily lives being injured, being rescued, being left by the side of the road, being robbed. We can also be aware of those who need us to come to their aid…. with our words, our kindness, our presence, our rescue. The reality of life is that we will, at various times, be each of these characters. We never know then those times will come or how we will be invited to respond.

But if we live with open hearts, we can be ready to answer with confidence….this is my neighbor. And if we allow our open hearts to be filled with compassion, love and hope, we can also live…eternally.