More on the good Samaritan...and our God - by William Willimon.
Jesus reacts to our situation in the ditch, not with more rules and regulations, not with harsh condemnation, but with a sort of love that can only be called reckless, extravagant, prodigal. There is, dare I say it, a kind of promiscuous quality in his extroverted love.
This God of ours will rescue anyone. Oh my!! Yes, anyone. What a love! What a way onto which we are invited to live - being surprised by God's endless extroverted love that we see and hear in the life of Jesus. It is no wonder that too many people shy away from church. They cannot see this love among us...and...they are not willing to be involved in such a feast of love. Too often it is easy to be merely critical of the institutionalization of our God (where the love seems to get lost or so closely monitored it may well be lost). We must also consider whether those who do not want to be a part of the way of Jesus may not want to be associated with that radical, promiscuous love.
Connection: Ever wonder about a love so deep and wide we could get lost in it? A love that covers us so thoroughly it is like the young boy who jumps down into the latrine in the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." Love caked on so completely that folks are repelled by it!
Lover of Life, you are not afraid to be with us and hold us and care for us even when we are a part of all that many would want thrown away. And yet, you are for us...again. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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