When I was a young man of about 22 years old, as many young men do, I took a journey of self-exploration that lasted about a year.  Having no serious commitments to tie me down-like a car payment (because I didn't have a car), a mortgage, any outstanding debt, and a girlfriend-I decided to hit the road to "discover" America beyond my home state of Ohio and figure out my place in it.  I had worked at a plastics factory for a few years and had saved up most of my income just for this experience.  I bought a backpack, pup tent, sleeping bag, portable camp stove, and one sunny morning, I stuck out my thumb and entered into that time-honored method of travel known as hitchhiking.  And with thumbing it, you take what you get, or don't get as the case may often be.

I was stuck on the side of a highway somewhere out in the middle of nowheresville, USA.  Many people looking like me had passed me by; one of them even gave me the "middle digit curse" for no apparent reason other than being an apparent vagrant in need of a ride.  After a few hours baking in the heat of the day, eventually a vintage, light robin's egg blue Chrysler from the 50s pulled over and the passenger's door swung open as an invitation.  The car was immaculate.  It looked like it had been stored right off the showroom floor for thirty years and was at last getting its test drive.  The thought also went through my mind that it looked too nice for my dirty, dusty backpack, my dirty, dusty, smelly body.  As I approached the car, the trunk lid popped by itself and I gingerly placed my worn equipment in the clean trunk.  I ducked into the driver's door already thanking my benevolent and trusting patron (because as we all knew, hitchhikers are dangerous) only to gasp in my mind as I beheld an elderly black man, immaculately dressed as his car, with a bowler derby on his head and ancient black horn rimmed glasses.  What stunned me was, growing up in a very racist family and community and country, this man should have been the very last person in the world to offer a white, smelly, unkempt hippie traveler such as myself a ride out of nowhere to somewhere.

"I'll take you as far as I'm going," he said.  The interior of the car was immaculate, the ceiling upholstery a light blue filled with gold stars like a twilight sky.  I was dirty, dusty, smelly, and he never said a thing besides, "I'll take you as far as I'm going."  He did and then some.  The priests and Levites who were of my own kind had not only passed me by but had cursed me for not having a car to boot.  I had finally met "The Good Samaritan" and he was an elderly African-American gentleman who was willing to risk his immaculateness with my journey.  His promise is that of Jesus himself: "I'll take you as far as I'm going."  And then some.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.  Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’

He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’

And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’

Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.

Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’

He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’