As I pulled into the parking lot of a nearby thrift store, a man standing a few feet away greeted me by asking, “Did you know you’re driving on a flat tire?”
A quick glance at the front tire on the driver’s side confirmed his observation. Yet before I had a chance to decide what to do, he asked if I had a spare tire. Within seconds, he was joined by another man who had just pulled into the lot.
Before I knew it, both men set to work replacing my flat tire with the spare in the back of my SUV. The fact that my car was parked in the sun on a day when temperatures were in the 90s made the kindness of these good Samaritans all the more commendable.
Not only did they carry out their mission with a smile, they saw their ability to help as providential. One man said he had been waiting to meet a person he was sponsoring through AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). However, the man being sponsored hadn’t shown up.
The other gentleman joked that he didn’t have anything better to do than rescue someone in distress. Both men declined any compensation, noting that they were happy to be of assistance and that a thank you was sufficient. Their parting words – “God bless you and have a good day” – added another dimension to the encounter.
Their willingness to help was a great example of how we can love our neighbor as our self. They treated my problem as if it was their own and did exactly what they would have done if the flat tire was on their car. Had they not been there, I probably would have called AAA (American Automobile Association), but I would have missed out on an experience of grace.
As it turned out, I was gifted with more than a tire change; I was privileged to watch the parable of the Good Samaritan taking place in real time. As we parted ways, their only request was to pay it forward. The phrase has become almost cliché, and yet no sooner had I headed on my way than I encountered a man on the street asking for help. It occurred to me that within a matter of minutes, I had encountered Jesus, first in the persons of Ben and Chris, my friendly helpers, and then in the man who blessed me for the few dollars I gave him.
Situations like these bring the parables of Jesus to life. It’s been said that the greatest stories are told when the storyteller stops speaking, which is why the parables of Jesus are so powerful. They come to life through the faith and actions of those who hear them and take them to heart.
How could it be otherwise? The theme that runs through the stories that Jesus told is love. Love unites as nothing else can. It leaps off the pages of Scripture and into people’s lives.
While on Earth, Jesus confronted despair and division, and his words continue to do so today. The way of love is indeed narrow. Ben and Chris could have walked past me that morning in the parking lot, but something deep within, perhaps before they were even aware of it, moved them to step forward and put into action the words of Jesus that had been etched in their hearts.
Jesus didn’t end his lessons with just a story. They were often followed by piercing questions, such as, “Who is your neighbor?” or, “Which son was the most obedient? The one who said ‘Yes,’ and then went off and did as he pleased, or the one who said, ‘No,’ and then had a change of heart and did what the father asked?”
The two men who stopped to help recognized me as neighbor. They seized the moment and set to work immediately. It says a lot about their understanding of the word “neighbor” and what it means to obey the Word of God.
Every day, we’re faced with numerous decisions, some more important than others. But when it comes to living the Gospel, the immediacy of putting words into actions speaks volumes about the depth of our love for God and neighbor.
The practice of occasional virtue is a good start, but for virtue to become habitual, we must choose love whenever occasions arise. Like all things in life, practice makes perfect and the more we choose love, the more perfect we become.
Barbara Hughes is an award-winning author, retreat facilitator and spiritual guide. She lives in Virginia Beach and can be reached at [email protected].