Winning Essay

DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE
by Ricky Alberto
St. Thomas More School

It’s Sunday afternoon and a young woman is driving down to the grocery store with her young son in the backseat to buy groceries for the upcoming week. Suddenly she sees a little boy about five years old standing in the middle of the street. Instinctively the woman slams on her brakes and runs into the middle of the street. She scoops up the little boy and takes him to the sidewalk away from the oncoming cars. Quickly she looks around and spots an open motel room door. She carries the boy to the room only to find his intoxicated mother passed out on the bed. The woman immediately calls the police. When the police arrive they take care of the boy and his mother. The woman, not wanting to be rewarded for her actions, leaves the scene as soon as the police arrive. She continues on her way to the grocery store with her child in the backseat.

This story is a great reminder that there are still some compassionate people in this world who think of others before themselves. That great woman who risked her life and ran into the street to save a little boy has had more influence on my life than any other person in this world. That woman is my own mother, and that young boy sitting in the backseat of her car is me. That is one of my best memories of when I was little. Seeing that kind act done by my own mother influenced me to always be compassionate to others. It wasn’t until I got older that I learned the words used to call a courageous person like this: “A Good Samaritan.”

The term “Good Samaritan” comes straight from the Bible. In those days the word “Samaritan” was used to refer to a native of Samaria, the region between Judea and Galilee. Because of their differences they were hated by the Jews. Nowadays the word has taken a new meaning. Now it is used to refer to a person who is ready to provide help without hesitation to others in need. The term “Good Samaritan” is used in Luke 10:25. A teacher of the Law approaches Jesus with the intention to trap Him. He asks Jesus what he should do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells the teacher to follow the Great Commandment: To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus then says, “Do this and you will live.” The teacher quickly counters this answer with another question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers this question with a story about a man who is robbed, beaten, and left to die. A Jewish priest passes by the man and ignores him. Then a Jewish Levite goes up to the man, looks at him, then continues on his way. Then a Samaritan sees the man and quickly goes to his aid. He takes the injured man to an inn where he cares for him and gives the innkeeper some silver to pay the expenses and to finish caring for him.

Good Samaritans are not particularly hard to find. There are Good Samaritans in our everyday lives. A good example is the people in New Orleans helping to rebuild. Another good example is all the police officers and firefighters that gave their lives in the 9/11 attacks. They are all good Samaritans in our hearts. A person doesn’t have to risk his or her life to be a Good Samaritan. Being a Good Samaritan can be as simple as helping someone up when they fall down or cheering up a person when they feel sad. All of us are Good Samaritans in our own way. Some people perform bigger deeds than others, but as long as we have compassion for all people and treat our neighbors with mercy we are all Good Samaritans.

Not everyone has the chance to do big things like my mom did, but it’s also the little things that bring us closer to God. Some people get those chances, but are hesitant or want something in return. Those kind of people really are not Good Samaritans. The people who do good and don’t expect a reward are the ones that should be called Good Samaritans. Think about what could have happened if my mom hesitated. Now think about yourself. What would you do? Hesitate and think about yourself, or act quickly and forget yourself.