Be like the Good Samaritan and help refugees from Middle East

ONE of best known stories from the Bible is the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan. Though two thousand years old, it speaks much into the present refugee crisis.

The unexpected hero, the Samaritan, exemplifies what sort of response is appropriate when confronted with the plight of human suffering. At the heart of the story, and arguably its most important statement, the Samaritan is said to be ‘moved by compassion’. This stands in stark contrast to the religious leaders who have ‘walked on by on the other side’.

A multitude of reasons have been put forward as to why the religious leaders didn’t stop; some have suggested that because of their religious laws they were placed in an impossible position. But stop they didn’t. Instead they carefully sidestepped their way around the problem and went on their journey.

Many of us have been ‘moved by compassion’ over the past few weeks. The picture of the limp body of Aylan Kurdi in the arms of the Turkish soldier was said to be a ‘game changer’ (though it feels almost blasphemous to liken this to a game). We have been moved to action, and we want to do something. Yet, as I write, there remains a defensiveness by some governments in Europe arguing that their country should do less and others should do more. The sidestepping round an inconvenient problem is not just a thing of the past. There are always a thousand reasons why we shouldn’t help, and we find it easy to justify ourselves in not stopping.

In contrast, there has been an outpouring of offers of help among many people in our community.

In Bicester, many church members have expressed a desire to respond to this crisis with hospitality and compassion. We have tried to harness and co-ordinate our response by forming a Churches in Bicester Refugee Support Group, and have written to the local councils urging them that we take our fair share of refugees. We are not just asking the council to do something, we are offering practical help. We want to assist any refugees settled in Bicester to integrate into our community.

There is an interesting ending to the story. Having helped the wounded man, the Samaritan takes him to a guest house and pays an amount to cover the cost of his care for the coming few days. He also promises that he will come back, and should there be any shortfall he will pay it when he returns.

In the days when this story was told, if a person couldn’t pay his debts, he would have to sell himself into slavery.

Staggeringly, this practice is still happening in Europe today. Last week, the BBC carried a report of refugees who are debt-slaves in Italy, unable to repay money borrowed from people traffickers and others. Some are forced to work as prostitutes. It’s a far cry from the safe refuge they were seeking.

There is a danger that help we give will not be comprehensive. Half-committed support may leave vulnerable people worse off and create difficulties for years to come. The Samaritan ensures that the wounded man is not just half helped, but fully helped. His assistance allows the victim to make a complete recovery. Our support for refugees needs to go beyond a short term response.

Many of us have been moved by compassion into action, not wanting to sidestep the problem and leaving it to others. The story of the Good Samaritan, a hero who goes to remarkable lengths to help a stranger, is a story that challenges and inspires. Jesus ends the story by saying ‘Go and do likewise’.