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YOU
\nCAN COME BACK NOW<\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/a> \n<\/p>\n The \n<\/p>\n \nFor all these years, I thought \n<\/p>\n \nHearing it this way, it is \n<\/p>\n \nAnd yet, like most people I \n<\/p>\n \nTwo Sundays ago I was at camp, \n<\/p>\n That \n<\/p>\n \nThe only clue I have is the one \n<\/p>\n \nAs far as I can tell, that’s \n<\/p>\n \nEach of us in this room have a \n<\/p>\n But \n<\/p>\n \nNo, dear ones, you aren’t. \u00a0If \n<\/p>\n \nIf that’s true, and I’d lean \n<\/p>\n \nThe world can be a very I know this is a <\/p>\n Dear ones, follow –<\/p>\n Rev. Sara E. Baron <\/p>\n July 14, 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nNow
\nthat we’ve reviewed the characters in the parable, I want to zero in
\non one line that jumped out at me this week. \u00a0It is verse 33, \u201cBut
\na Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he
\nwas moved with pity.\u201d \u00a0(NRSV) \u00a0Or, in the Message, \u201cA Samaritan
\ntraveling the road came on him. When he saw the man\u2019s condition,
\nhis heart went out to him.\u201d \u00a0Or in the New American Translation,
\n\u201cBut a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with
\ncompassion at the sight.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\nthing is, that every time I’ve read this story, I’ve read into it
\nsomething along the lines of, \u201cThe priest passed by on the other
\nside, even though he was supposed to be a person of God, the Levite
\npassed by on the other side, even though he was supposed to be a
\nperson of God, but the Samaritan did what a person of God should have
\ndone.\u201d \u00a0I’ve missed the ATTRIBUTION of motivation.<\/p>\n
\nthe Samaritan did what was right because it was right, and because
\nGod wants us to take care of each other, so we’re supposed to.
\nHowever, the story doesn’t actually say that!! \u00a0The story says that
\nthe Samaritan was \u201cmoved\u201d and then acted on his response. \u00a0The
\nhero didn’t do the right thing simply because it was the right thing,
\nthe hero was moved to do it. \u00a0His heart went out. \u00a0He felt
\ncompassion. \u00a0He saw the man who had been robbed and something in his
\nhumanity connected to something in the man’s humanity and he
\nresponded to that.<\/p>\n
\nalmost as if we aren’t responsible for fixing every single brokenness
\nin the world, and we don’t have to stop what we’re doing for every
\nhurting person we encounter, and \u2026 well, we don’t always have to be
\nTHE Good Samaritan in every situation. \u00a0Now when I say that, you
\nhopefully think I’m crazy, because OF COURSE we don’t, because we
\ncan’t. \u00a0Humans are finite and we simply can’t do everything for
\neveryone. \u00a0Further, we can do a lot more good if we focus and do what
\nwe do well than if we try to respond to every little thing that we
\nsee.<\/p>\n
\nknow, I’m so overwhelmed by the brokenness of the world, and I feel
\nresponsible to do my part, and often unclear about where the
\nboundaries lie on where my part is. \u00a0Which is to say, I often feel
\nguilty that I’m not doing more.<\/p>\n
\nand I invited the staff to do a little introductory ice breaker which
\nincluded the question \u201cwhat kind of toothpaste do you use and why?\u201d
\n I have previously found this to be an amusing question, which has
\nended up giving shocking amounts of insight into people’s choices.
\nThis time, however, the first two people to introduce themselves had
\nfound ways to minimize their plastic use and carbon footprint in
\ntheir toothpaste choices (cool!), and were happy to share that their
\nWHY was out of love for creation. \u00a0That was awesome. \u00a0However, it
\nmeant that for some other people who pick their toothpaste for other
\nreasons, and for those who hadn’t (yet) decided to make
\neco-consciousness in toothpaste purchasing their priority, there was
\na lot of guilt in answering the question. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\nsort of guilt isn’t productive (if any guilt is productive, which I’m
\nnot sure it is). \u00a0But it did serve as a good reminder to me of how
\nmany things there are to pay attention to: how are we treating the
\npeople we see in day to day life? \u00a0How are responding to those who
\nmake requests of us? \u00a0How are we deciding what to buy, and who to buy
\nit from, and how much to pay for it, and what factors should impact
\nour purchases? \u00a0How do we decide what to give, and where to give, and
\nhow much to give? \u00a0How do we decide when to work, when to play, when
\nto connect, when to rest? \u00a0How do we decide where to advocate, and
\nfor what, and how? \u00a0How do we know if it has been effective? \u00a0How
\nmuch attention do we give to our physical bodies and their needs,
\nwhat about our emotional needs, what about our spiritual needs, what
\nabout mental needs, and what about worrying about if we are being too
\nselfish thinking about all this? \u00a0How do we invest, if we can? \u00a0How
\ndo we use our time, our energy, our resources, our responses, our
\nresponsibilities, \u2026 our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our
\nservice, and our witness \ud83d\ude09 \u2026 to do the most good, and the least
\nharm without burning out?<\/p>\n
\nin this story. \u00a0The Samaritan didn’t act simply because it was the
\nright thing to do, because there are a lot of right things to do and
\nwe just can’t do them all. \u00a0He acted on the need in front of him that
\nMOVED him. \u00a0He let his compassion guide him.<\/p>\n
\nREALLY important. \u00a0For the Camp Staff who care about eco-choices in
\ntoothpastes, thanks be to God!! \u00a0For the ones who don’t, whose hearts
\ngo in other directions, thanks be to God!! \u00a0If we try to push
\nourselves to care about everything, we will burn out and be able to
\ncare about nothing. \u00a0If we try to become someone we aren’t, someone
\nwho cares about things we don’t really care about, we’ll exhaust
\nourselves and ignore our actual gifts.<\/p>\n
\nwide range of things we’re good at, and enjoy, that support and
\nbenefit others. \u00a0Each of us have ways that compassion naturally moves
\nin us, and if we follow the compassion, if we allow the movement of
\nour hearts to guide us, we will be doing GOOD work that benefits
\nourselves AND others, and the kindom, and we might even be able to do
\nit in sustainable ways.<\/p>\n
\nwait, you may be asking. \u00a0What if NOTHING moves me? \u00a0What if I have
\nno compassion? What if my heart is broken and it simply doesn’t go
\nout to anyone? \u00a0Am I damned to be the priest and Levite in this
\nstory, the one who showed no mercy and are the examples of bad
\nneighborliness?<\/p>\n
\nNOTHING is moving you at all, if your compassion doesn’t reach out
\nbeyond yourself then there are two possible realities. \u00a0One is that
\nyou haven’t found the place where your gifts lie yet, and it would be
\nuseful to expand your exposure to the world until you find where it
\ndoes move. \u00a0More likely though, knowing all of you, if your heart
\nisn’t moving and compassion isn’t flowing it is because you’ve given
\ntoo much of yourself away, and you don’t have anything left to give.<\/p>\n
\ntowards thinking that is true in this beautiful collection of Jesus
\nfollowers who try to be Good Samaritans in the world, then your job
\nis to sit with YOURSELF and offer your heart, and your compassion to
\nYOURSELF until you are filled back up. \u00a0You might even need to seek
\nout others who can offer you their hearts, and their compassion,
\ntheir listening ears or supportive shoulders. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\ndifficult place, and if you are a person with empathy, it can be
\nincredibly draining. \u00a0If your heart isn’t moving, then it needs some
\ntender loving care, from God, from yourself, and from God’s other
\nbeloveds. \u00a0If compassion doesn’t move you, then give yourself
\ncompassion.<\/p>\n
\nfunny way to preach on the Good Samaritan, the normal method is to
\ntell you to be a good person and take care of your neighbor, but
\ninstead I’m telling you to follow your hearts, and to trust that God
\nworks in you through your compassion and energy \u2013 and not to push
\nfurther than your heart leads you. \u00a0Let mercy guild you, as the
\nparable says. \u00a0But if your heart doesn’t move, then stay put. \u00a0You’ll
\nbe needed later, and being ready and rested will be good too.<\/p>\n
\nyour compassion, and if you can’t find it, give it to yourself. \u00a0God
\nwants full, whole, loving beings, and that means we need to make
\nspace to be them \u2013 even if it means walking on the other side of
\nthe road!!! \u00a0Amen
\n<\/p>\n
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305
Pronouns: she\/her\/hers
http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
\u2028https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/p>\n