This is a story from the book my people call Holy. It’s the story of the Good Samaritan.
“An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’
“But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ‘Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise’.”
Once I had a car accident which was devastating. The car did three 360 degree turns in a four lane highway, with traffic coming, then flipped from sunroof to tires three times. When it stopped I was alive. I was rushed to the hospital with the man I loved. They kept him, and released me, which meant I had no place to stay. This was in Ontario, Canada. I was alone, blood and glass in my big afro. Weeping in the lobby, a nice white Canadian lady approached me. Asked me what I needed and then gave it to me.
She took me to get dinner; she took me to a drugstore; she took me to a hotel, checked me in, paid the bill. The next morning she picked me up; she rented me a car; she took me back to the hospital to pick up said man.
She was so very loving to me; she saved me.
She was a Good Samaritan.
Why? Because she was a Christian? I am not sure that she was. But she was my neighbor. She saw me weeping, bloody, frightened, and just loved the hell out of this Black, skinny, messy stranger. This is what Jesus said love looks like.
If we are saying we follow Jesus, we have to love the hell out of – I’m sorry love the heaven into each other.
All of us. Neighbors. Strangers. Strange neighbors.
We live in a national neighborhood. We live in a global neighborhood.
Now and on the other side of this election, what would love have us do?
I want to be a Good American. A good citizen.
I want to be your neighbor. Won’t you be mine? I took you and yours with me to the polls earlier this week. I’m taking you with me from now on. Outside in the streets. In my work, preaching, teaching and writing. There is too much hell on earth for my breaking heart. I’m going to try to love the heaven into it. For you and me.
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis is senior minister and public theologian at Middle Church in New York. Celebrated internationally for her dynamic preaching and commitment to building a just society with fierce love, Dr. Lewis champions racial, economic, and gender/sexuality justice. The author of several books, including “Fierce Love” and the “Just Love Story Bible,” her work has been featured on NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, NPR and in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Ebony and Essence Magazines.