W W J D

1
W W J D
2
Parable of the Good SamaritanLuke 1030-37

• "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
  when he fell into the hands of robbers. They
  stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went
  away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to
  be going down the same road, and when he saw the
  man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a
  Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,
  passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as
  he traveled, came where the man was and when he
  saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and
  bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
  Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him
  to an inn and took care of him. The next day he
  took out two silver coins and gave them to the
  innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I
  return, I will reimburse you for any extra
  expense you may have.'

3
Who is our neighbor?

• If Jesus was a homeless person in need of food
  and shelter, would we tell him to get a _at_
  job? Would we tell Jesus that giving him food,
  money or assistance, would do more harm than good
  in the long run? If Jesus happened to be the son
  (or daughter) of an incarcerated father and
  drug-addicted mother, would we tell him that it
  is not our fault that his parents are
  irresponsible, but society is not supposed to
  be a surrogate parent? Would we tell him that he
  has the power to choose to be whoever he wants to
  be and self-pity isnt going to get him anywhere?
  If Jesus was the victim of child abuse,
  neglected and abused both psychologically and
  physically, would we tell him that life isnt
  fair and it sure isnt easy, but those are your
  problems not mine?

4
God to Hungry Child Langston Hughes

• Hungry child,
• I didnt make this world for you
• You didnt buy any stock in my railroad.
• You didnt invest in my corporation.
• Where are your shares in standard oil?
• I made the world for the rich
• And the will-be-rich
• And the have always-been-rich,
• Not for you,
• Hungry child."

5
A Burden ?

• Think of it this way, said the
  sixteen-year-old girl If people in New York
  woke up one day and learned that we were gone,
  that we had simply died or left for somewhere
  else, what would they feel.
• How do you think theyd feel the educator
  asked.
• I think they would be relieved, this very
  solemn girl replied.

6
Sympathy (and Compassion)

• Sympathy originates in the imagination, which
  alone can make us enter into the sensations of
  others. It is only by imagining ourselves in
  his position, by changing places with him in
  fancy, by thinking what our own sensations would
  be in the same plight, that we come to feel what
  he endures, and to shudder at the mere thought of
  the agonies be feels. The emotion of a spectator
  always corresponds to what, by bringing the case
  of another home to himself, he imagines should be
  that other's sentiments. (Adam Smith)

7
Jesus A Global Citizen?

• Critical examination of oneself
• Critical examination of your traditions
• Cultivate your humanity
• Develop your narrative imagination

8
What Would Jesus Do?

• While it is clear that Jesus, the living man,
  did not attend meetings at the United Nations,
  trade stocks and bonds on Wall Street, hold
  political office in the U.S. Senate, the U.S.
  House, the Executive office, or preach on CTN,
  he might have had something to say regarding the
  scandal in the United Nations food for oil
  program, the fraudulent practices of Enron, Tyco,
  etc., Clintons decision to engage in sexual
  relations with Ms. Lewinsky, Tom Delays
  willingness to bend the rules, Pat Robertsons
  hypocrisy, Patrick Buchanans xenophobia
• Representative Cunningham, an eight-term
  representative in California