Dream Awakener

Painting by Asian artist He Qi

A guest post by Geoff Maddock

I’m not particularly interested here in a verse by verse analysis of the story of the Good Samaritan.  Suffice to say, this amazing character crosses all kinds of barriers (physical, religious, psychological, sociological) to offer salvation to someone.  In so doing, he exposes our vacuous spirituality and shows us another way – the way of generous, sacrificial, and graceful living.

Unfortunately this nameless person from Samaria has been domesticated and simply become the poster child for random acts of kindness and impulsive compassion.  As noble as these occasional gestures of charity are, they can become the sum-total of our practical discipleship.  But what about the time and space outside these single virtuous moments?  Now, please hear me.  I am a big fan of radically good deeds that capture the spontaneity and spark of God’s love.  I’m just worried that the idea of the Good Samaritan can become an inoculation to the holistic work of living generously with each moment, every day, for the long term.  It’s the curse of the tithe – you know, where we give our 10% and then get on with our economic plans as if it isn’t all God’s anyway.

I am wondering if our so-called radical or new monastic forms of faithfulness can fall into the trap of it being another one of those curiosities we had among other consumer choices “on the journey.”  I don’t mean to accuse anyone of malice.  It is more a case of defining a certain episode of our life according to circumstances or attitudes that wane over weeks and months.  Just as we have all had those “good Samaritan” moments, I am afraid we will too easily remember our “radical years” as “that phase I went through” instead of a lifelong calling.  And, it is to long-term faithfulness that we owe our allegiance and for which we will require the greatest energy.  Jesus didn’t call us to just follow him in the short-term, while we are single, ambitious, idealistic, or young (Lord knows I am preaching to myself here!)

So how can we imagine what “going far enough” looks like? Let’s explore that in the next post.

Geoff makes his home in Lexington, KY, with his wife Sherry and their son Isaac. They work together to serve as missionaries, share in the life of their intentional community (communality), get jobs to pay the bills, and conspire with anyone longing for the love and justice Jesus embodies. Geoff and Sherry also share and learn with Forge America to help others develop the awareness and grace needed for mission in the Western context.