Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Summarizing the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37), Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King reflects on how we define our neighbor:
Who is my neighbor? “I do not know his name,” says Jesus in essence. “He is anyone toward whom you are neighborly. He is anyone who lies in need at life’s roadside. He is neither Jew nor Gentile; he is neither Russian nor American; he is neither Negro nor white. He is a ‘certain man’—any needy man—on one of the numerous Jericho roads of life.” So Jesus defines a neighbor, not in a theological definition, but in a life situation.
What constituted the goodness of the good Samaritan? Why will he always be an inspiring paragon of neighborly virtue? It seems to me that this man’s goodness may be described in one word—altruism. The good Samaritan was altruistic to the core…. The Samaritan was good because he made concern for others the first law of his life.…
Man-made laws assure justice, but a higher law produces love…. The good Samaritan represents the conscience of [humankind] because he also was obedient to that which could not be enforced. No law in the world could have produced such unalloyed compassion, such genuine love, such thorough altruism….
More than ever before, my friends, [people] of all races and nations are today challenged to be neighborly. The call for a worldwide good-neighbor policy is more than an ephemeral shibboleth…. No longer can we afford the luxury of passing by on the other side. Such folly was once called moral failure; today it will lead to universal suicide. We cannot long survive spiritually separated in a world that is geographically together. In the final analysis, I must not ignore the wounded man on life’s Jericho Road, because he is a part of me and I am a part of him. His agony diminishes me and his salvation enlarges me.
In our quest to make neighborly love a reality, we have, in addition to the inspiring example of the good Samaritan, the magnanimous life of our Christ to guide us. His altruism was universal, for he thought of all [people], even publicans and sinners, as brothers. His altruism was dangerous, for he willingly traveled hazardous roads in a cause he knew was right. His altruism was excessive, for he chose to die on Calvary, history’s most magnificent expression of obedience to the unenforceable.
================
A Jesus Follower’s Voter Guide
Something to carry with you into next Tuesday
| BEAU STRINGEROCT 27 |
Election Day is one week from today, and if you’re feeling a little worn out by the whole thing, you’re definitely not alone. I have had several conversations lately with folks who feel anxious about this season, and a lot of them have told me it’s hard to know how your faith fits into all of it.
So, I made something for you.
It’s a short guide with eight truths about Jesus and how they might shape the way we think about casting a vote. I put it together as a simple image so it’s easy to save, print, or pass along to someone who might need it.
Big shout out to Brian Zahnd, whose own Christian voter’s guide inspired me to write this one.
I kept each point simple, and every one of them centers on Jesus. Something he said or did, or something the church has confessed about him from the very beginning. From there I trust you to connect the dots for your own life and your own ballot. I refuse to endorse anyone.
My hope is that this helps you walk into the voting booth remembering who you belong to. The earliest followers of Jesus lived under an empire that asked for their loyalty, and they kept right on saying “Jesus is Lord.” That confession is ours too, next Tuesday and every day after.
And whatever the results are a week from now, I hope you’ll wake up on Wednesday knowing what is true. Jesus is still risen. The worst thing is never the last thing. Every neighbor you pass is still made in the image of God. And the kingdom he talked about is still quietly growing all around us.
If you’d like a prayer to carry with you, here’s one you’re welcome to borrow:
God of every nation and every neighbor, give me clear eyes and a kind heart as I vote. Help me care most about the people you care about. Keep me from fear and from contempt. And whatever the results are, remind me that my hope rests in you. Amen.
