The Good Samaritan

Some years ago, I was visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris with my family. Truth be told, I am terrified of heights - and at the time, I was NOT keen on admitting it. (Much more keen now...obviously). So, I 'volunteered' to stay on the ground with my 1 year old niece who was sleeping soundly in her stroller. Everyone left their 'excess' bags and stuff with me - so I was loaded up with stacks of bags and sitting on a bench for a great while. The area around the bottom of the Eiffel Tower is just a big cemented area, surrounded by large grids of grass, bushes and flowers with cement benches randomly throughout. That day there were a great many meandering people entering and exiting the tower and milling about, so I purposely chose a bench on the outskirts of the area, so it was the most quiet.

My cute niece began to stir and I tilted the stroller back and was rocking the stroller gently to keep her sleeping, when I saw them. 3 or 4 hoodlum-esque young men had just entered the area - leather clad, tatooed with some interesting piercings- but the reason I noticed them - was that one of them was carrying a music box on his shoulder and it was blaring (does it date me more to call it a music box or a ghettoblaster???) They were walking right toward me with all their noise and rambunctiousness. I began to scramble to gather everyone's 'stuff' to relocate, when the young Italian (I'm guessing, it sounded like Italian (not French) that they were speaking) man carrying the music, noticed me and the stroller and the stuff and made eye contact with me and immediately reached up and turned off the music and quieted his buddies. He and his friends reverently walked passed us and when they were a good distance away, I saw him look back at us and then reach up and turn his music back on.

I have thought back on this experience many times since it happened and am so moved by this young man, whom I never would have expected to show a gentleness of heart, that I believe I've romanticized the experience some - as now as I reflect back on it, I can almost see that young man smiling at me (though I really don't think he did) as if to say, "I know Jesus Christ. I'm a believer, too" This experience has always reminded me of the parable of the Good Samaritan. I imagine the people of this time in this parable were as surprised (if not more so) to hear that a Samaritan was the one to help the wounded man as I was to have received mercy from an unexpected source.

Last Sunday, we read the parable outloud in both Relief Society and Sunday School. I have been thinking about that kind young hoodlum all week.

Luke 10:25-37

25¶And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit aeternal life?

26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt alive.

29But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and awounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had bcompassion on him,

34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took acare of him.

35And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the ahost, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Thanks to that experience in Paris years ago, When I read this parable, I think of this tender mercy paid to me. And I like to say to myself 'Go and do thou likewise'.

This young man is just one of many who have been the Good Samaritans of my life. Who have been the Good Samaritans in your life?