Recently while engaged in some light projects around the house, I had a need for a tool, which I knew a friend of mine had tucked away in his shed. I jumped in the pickup and headed to his house.

The route took me on the main thoroughfare of Midlothian Turnpike. While heading up Midlothian, at a distance up ahead I saw the flashing emergency lights of a police unit and there were several other cars that were blocking traffic in the left lanes. Upon getting closer, I discovered there was a rear-end accident in the left- turn lane. However, in passing the scene slowly from the far-right lane, I recognized the vehicle that had been struck in the rear as the vehicle of someone I knew, and a quick glimpse of the vanity plate confirmed it to be so.

My heart fluttered in that I did not know the seriousness of the matter but immediately wanted to offer assistance in any way I could. I worked my way through the traffic and made a U-turn to check as best I could and to see if I could be of any assistance. I could not just pass by without trying to offer help in some way.

Working my way back around to a parking lot across the street from the accident, I could see it was the person I knew and her daughter, but they seemed okay. I waited at a distance and made contact after the matter was cleared and offered my assistance, but things were stable at that point.

I was just thankful that things were as well as could be with no serious injuries.

However, during the time of waiting, I thought about a most important question posed to Jesus in Luke’s gospel in the account of the “Good Samaritan.” After the lawyer asked Jesus a very important question regarding eternal life, but with the wrong motive, he was forced to answer his own question, which consisted of loving God with all one’s heart, soul, strength, mind and ultimately loving thy neighbor as thyself.

Of course, the lawyer would not turn it loose and posed another question to Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus does not respond in accordance to the tone of the question but rather goes on to tell the story of the “Good Samaritan” where by a man travels from Jerusalem to Jericho and falls among thieves and is left in the ditch by his attackers. Two members of the religious community pass by the man but offer no assistance what so ever. The Levite actually looks down on the man but still passes by on the other side. The man was ultimately rescued by a most unlikely person, a Samaritan. Then Jesus poses the question as to whose actions reflected that of a neighbor and the answer was the one who provided assistance and showed mercy on the man in the ditch.

As people of God, we can find encouragement in so many turns along our Christian journey in opportunities for encounters with others that simply show caring concern through the fact that we are Christian neighbors to those who simply need a helping hand.

Rev. Dr. James Taylor III is the pastor of the Jericho Baptist Church in Farmville. His email address is jht3@verizon.net.