On catastrophic floods and the Good Samaritan

...Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

That is the last verse in todays Gospel of the Good Samaritan.

Much exegesis has been done on this parable, but it still bears emphasizing - especially at these unfortunate times - that the good Samaritan took the extra mile after he had already helped the victim.

Notice:

" The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ "

We have heard of the heroics and selfless sacrifice that many good-hearted people have extended to the victims of the recent catastrophic flood. This post does not intend in any way to downplay those acts of charity. These good-hearted people can only be the same people who can see beyond momentary relief. Long after relief goods have been given to these poor victims, there will still be the next day, and the next, and the next.

Will there be adequate food, clothing and shelter - long after the floodwaters have receded?

Will the next catastrophic flood be averted?

Will our poor countrymen remain living dangerously?

On hindsight, the robbers' victim in the parable may have escaped harm if adequate law enforcement on the road to Jericho were in place.
On the same note, people devastated in NCR may have escaped harm if the environment were respected and immaterialistic urban planning were in place.

Sure, good-hearted people will always be there to lend a helping hand when disaster strikes, but we have to remember that our tropical country is prone to more than twenty (!) typhoons each year. With this in mind, it appears that the good Samaritans might be waging a losing battle against the more plentiful and powerful robbers, false priests and levites. If those three questions are not answered and acted upon, our poor people will always be stripped, beaten, and left half-dead - like the robbers' victim on the road to Jericho.

It is a time for conversion.

It is a time to “Go and do likewise.”
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