As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are displaced by a Russian invasion Canadians are called upon to be Good Samaritans in providing support, including food aid. I can use that term "good Samaritan" with a fair assumption that you'll know what it means, whatever your background. In Luke's gospel Jesus tells a parable of a man beset by robbers and left by the side of the road. Devout religious people pass him by but a Samaritan, someone from a group considered suspect in much of Jewish culture of the time, responds to the injured man's plight, providing for his needs.
The Good Samaritan -- Vincent van Gogh
Today there are Samaritan aid ministries and co-called Good Samaritan laws regarding providing assistance in emergencies. For some there may be an understanding of what Samaritan laws entail without knowing about the gospel parable. And the majority of people wouldn't realize that there are still Samaritan people in the Middle East who have their own cultural and religious customs, although their numbers are dwindling.
I was reminded of this the other day when I saw a brief review of The Samaritan Cookbook: A Culinary Odyssey from the Ancient Israelites to the Modern Mediterranean. Collected by Benyamim Tsedaka. The review didn't convince me that I should order a copy but it was a reminder that the stories of scripture including the parables of Jesus were not fairy tales or descriptions of a biblical theme park. The stories and metaphors Jesus employed gave people a window into God's new realm were often based on the experiences of everyday.
Samaritan Passover
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