The Good Samaritan, Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman

The story of the Good Samaritan was proclaimed today in every Catholic Church around the world.  It is one of the most well known stories in all of the Gospels.  And today it was proclaimed within hours of the verdict heard round the country, if not round the world.  George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the criminal charges of 2nd degree murder and manslaughter in the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.  Reaction has been mostly measured but if you read the social media sites, there is so much pent up anger, frustration and dare I say hatred.

Hatred is interwoven all through the story of the Good Samaritan.  Many traveled that particular road, treacherous and dangerous, so the Jews and Samaritans would not have to mingle.  Quite frankly, they really hated each other.  Now the Good Samaritan was beaten to a bloody pulp, but he did not die.  He indeed was left for dead and that was the observation of the priest and the levite who walked on by.  There was no concern for the injured man; basically this is none of my business, move on.  But the Good Samaritan, was moved with pity and concern and immediately put the needs of another, a Jew, ahead of his own.  He truly preached by his actions: love one another; love my neighbor.

Now I'm certainly not going to play out the facts and not-so-facts from the entire Martin/Zimmerman tragedy and resulting trial.  All of that is over.  It is over, except that many, will not let it be over.  And let me explain, over does not mean that a family should not continue to grieve the loss of their son and continue to feel that he still deserves justice.  And over does not mean that the other family deserves constant harassment and death threats.

None of this is borne of love.  Love may have prevented this whole tragedy from playing out; may have helped the two tragic figures in this horrific incident from acting and reacting as they did.  Love should prevent us now from fueling the fires of hate and racism which seem so easy to be enflamed these days.  Who is my neighbor?  Who am I called to love?  What roads in my life are my roads to Jericho?

That Good Samaritan put the needs of the other first; he loved with his whole heart and soul.  If we can learn anything from this tragedy; can we just learn to love one another and to see others as they really are: children of God!