“Teacher, what must I do to gain eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What is written in the Bible? How do you interpret it?”
“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”[a]
Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”
“And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied, “There was a pandemic in a faraway land. A poor man with a lung condition did not have the privilege of working from home. He worked at WalMart and had to continue to do so to feed his family. It just so happened that a Christian came to the store without a mask on, and approached the man to ask where in the store to find the dog toys and treats. The poor employee directed the man to the place.
Next a priest came to the store without a mask. He approached the man to ask where the office supplies could be found. The poor employee directed the man to the place and the priest coughed a little and went on his way.
Finally, an atheist came to the store wearing a mask. He asked the poor employee where to find drill bits. The poor employee directed the man to the place and the atheist went on his way.
What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man with the lung condition?”
“Go and do likewise.”
To comment, click on the header “Parables for a Pandemic - The Neighbor”