I’ve been in Liberia for more than a year. Looking at what’s
obtaining on the “ground” specifically regarding how Liberians treat each
other, I cannot but relate this situation to Biblical passages. Simply put, we
are Christians. And so we learn very well from Christian lessons.
The Biblical “Good Samaritan” analogy is more relevant to
the Liberian case as far as dealing with each other.
In the Bible, a legal expert
wanted to put Jesus to a test. In fact, he wanted to get Jesus into trouble
with the Laws of Rome. And so he posed incriminating questions to Jesus. He
wanted to know Jesus’ thoughts about the Laws of Rome. He expected Jesus to
answer him directly. By so doing, Jesus would just ride in his trap to get
Jesus into trouble with the Law.
This is the question he first
asked Jesus. He said, “Mr. Jesus! how can I inherit eternal life?”
Jesus being of Divine Spirit knew this man’s sole intent to get Him into
trouble with the Laws of Rome. The scholar did not want Jesus to slip from his hands.
Because he thought he had gotten Jesus. And so he posed his questions quickly
and dexterously. Jesus being All-Knowing posed a question back to the scholar.
But before doing so, Jesus paused for a minute. And that was the moment the scholar
took a deep breath and started talking to himself.
This is what he said to himself
on the inside: He said, “Why is Jesus not talking quickly in
answering my question? Why is He pausing? Has He given up on my question or
what?” At first he thought Jesus would give a quick reply. And since Jesus
did not, the scholar thought he had finally entrapped Jesus.
Suddenly, Jesus bounced back and
asked the scholar a question. Jesus asked, “What is written in the Law and how do you
read it?”
The expert got choked. He kept
quiet for a minute. And then he said to himself “Dammit! Why is Jesus asking me a
question instead of answering my question?”
Now this is what the scholar
thought.
He thought since he wanted to
entrap Jesus, he needed to bombard him with more questions. And if he continued
bombarding Jesus with more questions aggressively, Jesus would say something
wrong and be accused of wrongdoing.
After going back-and-forth, the
expert yielded to Jesus’ question. He began to read the Law that Jesus asked
him to read. After the scholar read the Law, Jesus told him that his answer was
correct. Jesus then recommended that the Scholar follow what that Law says and
he would inherit "Eternal life."
The expert got upset. Because
Jesus did not answer his question the way he wanted Jesus to answer him. He got
furious. The scholar paused for a minute thinking what else to do. And then the
scholar said to himself: “How can I do this to easily entrap this
man?”
Soon, he thought he had figured something
smart out. He came up with a new question. This time, he thought he could get
Jesus to answer directly. This is what he asked Jesus: “Mr. Jesus, who then is my neighbor?”
Instead of providing a direct
answer again, Jesus began by saying, “A man was going…”
Then the expert listened for a
minute and realized this was not a straight answer. So he got choked and
started talking to himself. “Where is this man going with this story?”
The scholar couldn’t understand
what Jesus was doing. So he jumped in Jesus’ throat while Jesus was talking. He
aggressively re-emphasized his question. But this time vehemently. He said, “Mr.
Jesus, I say, who is my neighbor?”
Then Jesus went on to say, “The
man was going from Jerusalem …”
As Jesus was going on with the
parable, the expert got too uncomfortable and uneasy. He shouted,” I
say, Mr. Jesus! Mr. Jesus! Mr. Jesus!”
The scholar shouted so much,
Jesus stopped.
Then the expert caught his
breathe. Then he calmly asked Jesus again. But this time he posed the question
as if he was speaking to an 8-year old kid. “I say, who is my neighbor.
That’s all I’m asking you. Where are you going with this story of a man? Just
tell me who is my neighbor?”
Jesus continued on with the
story.
Jesus said “There was once a man who was
going down from Jerusalem to Jericho …” The expert clinched a fist and said to himself, “Where
is this man going with this story? Why can’t He answer my question?” Not knowing what was obtaining, the
scholar decided to keep quiet this time and listen to what Jesus was saying.
Jesus continued on.
“When robbers attacked, stripped
him and beat him up leaving him half dead, it so happened that a priest was
going down the road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other
side. But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man and when he
saw him his heart was filled with pity. He went over to him, poured oil and
wine on his wounds and bandaged them then he put the man on his own animal and
took him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he took out two
silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Take care of him and when I come
back. I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.”
And Jesus concluded the parable
and then asked the expert, “In your opinion, which one of these three
acted like a neighbor towards the man attacked by robbers?”
The teacher of the Law and expert
reluctantly answered Jesus by saying, “The one who was kind to the man who was in
pain is the neighbor.”
Then Jesus replied to the scholar,
“You
go then and do the same.” The expert looked for minute and just kicked
the dust and said, “Dammit! And the case closed on that. The scholar went his way
and Jesus went His way.
MORAL: If we help
one, indeed we help the nation
I am Thomas G. Bedell, a volunteer; working and speaking on
the ground in Liberia, victim of police brutality and a candidate for
citizenship repudiation
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