13-Jul-25 (Luke 10:30-35)

I want to tell you a story about one day at school. It was time for recess and all the kids in the class went outside to play on the playground. While they were playing one of the boys tripped and fell and hurt himself, but no one noticed right away.
As the boy looked up from the ground where he was laying, he saw one of his friends going by. The friend had just noticed that the swings were empty and he ran over to get his turn on one. He ran right by his friend and didn't stop to help him.
Then the boy saw one of the teachers. She was heading in his direction but one of the other children called her name and she went over to her.
Just then he heard a voice he didn't recognize. It was one of the boys from another class. He didn't know him. But they boy came over, saw what had happened and went to get one of the teachers with a first-aid kit. This other boy stood by in case they needed anything else.
Now, here's the question: Which of the people on the playground was the most helpful to the boy who hurt himself?
What can we learn from that? First, we should look for ways that we can be helpful to other people, even those we don't know. But, just as important, we should expect that God will send people to help us who we might not know and may not even like at first. We all show that we're doing what God wants by helping others.

Let's pray about that.
God, help us to be good to other people, even the ones we don't know. But also help us to remember that you may send people to help us who we don't know and who don't look like us. Show us how to love other people, all other people.
Amen.