Column on Amos 7, good Samaritan charity v. justice

The gospel of Luke has some of the best stories in the four gospels. The story of the “God Samaritan” is being read in a lot of churches this Sunday. Samaritans lived in the former northern kingdom of Israel. They were a different branch of Judaism and were considered ethnically inferior by others. Ill will and even attack marked the relations between the members of a long-ago split kingdom. I notice that the city of St Louis is considering a vendor’s license to be able to distribute charity on is mean streets.

Churches have turned the parable into a plea for being charitable. It tells us not to be a bystander, but to act. Charity doles out benefits to those in need, and it provides the warmth of compassion enacted. On the other hand, charity often demeans the recipient. It may fuel or even enable the chaos that afflicts the life of so many.

The parable is a good way to approach the issue of charity and justice. Charity is motivated by compassion, and it is often an immediate response to a crying need. Charity is direct aid for a basic human need. Sometimes the Scripture calls it almsgiving. The word is ancient English and seems to come straight form Greek for mercy. In legal language we may refer to eleemosynary activity, the giving of alms. It puts mercy into action.

I do have sympathy for those who proclaim it to be a mere bandage as a temporary measure. Getting cold water for a mentally ill person is a classic gesture of charity. Charity helps a frail person across the street. Charity tries to help get restitution for the victim of crime.

Let us be clear. The Samaritan is the last person the audience expects would provide aid and comfort. The Samaritan does not blame the victim for his plight. The Samaritan does not ask if the victim is worthy of aid. The others pass by hoping not to establish eye contact and maybe resentful at the sight of yet more misery. Maybe they are rushing off as they have important work to do. Maybe they shake their head feeling that what they could offer is not enough. Maybe they are afraid that if they stop to help they will be the next victim.

Cornel West said: “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Justice is part of social structure. Justice emerges in a mixture of emotion and thoughtful comparison.
At its best, justice prevents the need for charity. Justice works against conditions that lessen people’s options to flourish. Justice asks what pushes a mentally ill person to be in need of a glass of water after we dismantled the system that cared for them. Justice creates a system of Social Security. Justice seeks safer streets under a rule of law carefully written and applied.

Justice is working on a long road indeed. Perseverance is its main virtue for its often achingly slow movements. It usually lacks the immediate emotional benefits of charity. Churches will lose members in protest if a congregation clamors for justice. Churches are vital way stations for charity, but we do not work for justice very well. Instead of relying on our religious sources to intersect with movements for justice, we either stumble along in protest or ape the current policy positions of secular activity.

So I plead for congregations to continue to do charitable work. At the more corporate level, I plead with religious people to do the hard work of linking Christina ethics to public issues. The kingdom, the realm of God’s way in the world calls for both. We continue to make strides toward both, but the road is often long, ill-lit, and treacherous for the Samaritan and all those in the story alike.