The Good Samaritan

“Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29 NLT)

The following story could have taken place in any college town:

It was a Saturday night, and the bars and streets around campus were filled with drunk students. Most of the ‘decent’ townsfolk knew to stay away from the area after dark. However, one of the local churches was holding a fundraiser for Veterans. Thus, there were an unusual number of grown-ups driving through downtown this night. Unfortunately, many of them failed to notice Maria. She had been drugged and gang raped by a group of drunken frat boys. They had dumped her semi-conscious body on the street a few blocks away from their frat house.

Pastor Ed was on his way to the big fundraiser which was being held at his church. This event was going to give his church a lot of visibility in the community. There were many big donors and influential people coming to the event. He wanted to make sure he got there early enough to greet all the important people. As he drove through downtown, he noticed the slumped figure. He assumed it was just another drunken college student and drove on without stopping.

About twenty minutes later, a middle-aged woman named Jackie passed by the same scene. Jackie had been asked to be the Master of Ceremonies  for the fundraising event. She was really excited to have been chosen. She had spent hours getting her hair and makeup done. She was wearing a new outfit and expensive shoes. She noticed the semi-conscious woman leaning up against the building. She shook her head disapprovingly as she drove by.

Later that night, Abdul, a Muslim grad student from Palestine, also passed by that street. He was on his way to the lab where he worked. He too noticed the young woman.  He went over to check on her. As he got close, he realized that her clothes were torn, and she was barely conscious. Abdul wasn’t sure what to do. He knew that if he took her to the local hospital, he might be viewed as a suspect. He was in the U.S. on a student visa. What if they revoked his visa? He was afraid to get involved. He was hesitant to even touch this strange, inebriated, half-dressed woman. But his conscience wouldn’t let him leave her there either. He called 911 and explained the situation as well as he could with his thick accent. He waited for the paramedics and cops to arrive. He nervously answered their questions, all the while praying that he wouldn’t end up in Guantanamo prison.

It took a few days for the authorities to get the story straight. Fortunately, Maria regained consciousness and was able to identify the real suspects. Since Maria had served in the military before attending college, the local leaders used her story to solicit more donations for the Veteran’s fundraiser. Abdul’s name was never mentioned in the media. In a few years, he finished his Ph.D. and went back home to the West Bank of Palestine, which at one time was also known as Samaria.