Stories of old tell us about a lone travler who while making his journey was attacked, robbed and left for dead. As he lie by
wayside, a priest passed by and barely glanced his way. Later, another man came along; stopping briefly to investigate what had occurred. He looked upon traveler but just didn't feel like it was his duty to help him, so he left as well. Some time went by, when a Samaritan came upon traveler and immediately showed mercy. He didn't question traveler's race, creed, sex or religion - he simply saw an injured human lying there before him.
Not thinking about criminals who might have still been in area, nor about his own safety, Samaritan simply knew that traveler was in need and suffering. Removing his own garment, Samaritan covered injured traveler. Then, taking his own oil and wine (which was to be used for his own journey), Samaritan healed and relieved wounded traveler.
After he cleansed traveler's wounds, Samaritan then lifted and carried weary traveler upon his own beast at a careful, slow pace so not to jolt him along way. Bringing him to an inn, Samaritan attended traveler throughout night; and upon morning break, traveler was doing a little better.
While Samaritan still had to complete his journey, he arranged for Innkeeper to tend to sick traveler, paid bill and even left a provisional committment to Innkeeper so that if further need should arise, he would return to repay traveler's bill.
The story of Good Samaritan has been retold (Luke 10:36) for ages and ages past. The story about good Samaritan was originally told by a man named Jesus.
Living in an Invidualistic Country, focus of humanitarian efforts are being continuously diverted to personal vendettas of war, contempt, hatred, greed and uncivilized conduct across International lines and especially within our own borders. Aside from religious aspects of Good Samaritan, story raises and conveys real moral behavior. Similar to Aesop's Fables and Hans Christian Anderson's stories; parables like Good Samaritan present morals so that others may come to understand real understanding of what it means to be a decent human being.
Unfortunately, in United States, many people can no longer distinguish necessity from greed. In doing so, our individualistic behaviors prevent us from seeing reality of world around us. How is it, that we can so easily alienate ourselves from fallacies that surround us: war, death, poverty, hunger - just to name a few.
To uncover enchantment of political agendas, it is vital that we return to a similar path of Good Samaritan.
The publishers of Sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset's book, 'American Exceptionalism: A Double-Edged Sword' wrote a summary of Mr. Lipset's novel: "In this timely new study, one of our major political analysts, Seymour Martin Lipset, explores deeply held but often inarticulated beliefs that shape America's society and thought. Is this country in throes of a revolution from right? Is it in decline morally? Is Japan about to replace us as leading economic power? Why does United States have highest crime rate, most persons per capita in prison? Why is our electoral turnout so low? Why are we most open, socially mobile society and most unequally developed nation in income distribution? Why is America most religious country in Christendom? What explains our persistently high rate of opposition to wars and, conversely, our propensity for flag waving and expressions of patriotic enthusiasm? As 1996 election year begins, Professor Lipset examines remarkable persistence of an American creed, a double-edged sword that provides both good and bad, offering fresh insights into our culture and its future. "1
