During Lent, our confirmation students met with mentors to talk about faith and life—growing in identity, belonging, and purpose through caring relationships. Together they also co-wrote reflections on a Bible verse, and we’ll be sharing these devotionals throughout the Easter season as an invitation to embrace thoughtful dialogue and respond to God’s grace with love in the world.

Today's Reflection was written by 8th Grader Hope Jones and her mentor Roberta Person (pictured above)



The good Samaritan is a story, told by Jesus in Luke, about three travelers who each come across a man who was robbed and beaten. The man was left on the road. The first two men passed the hurt man by, crossing to the other side of the street to avoid him. The third man, a Samaritan, helped the man.

During the Lenten mentoring we talked about how this, and other stories, are just very hard to relate to in today’s setting. If this happened today - we have phones, we call for help, and can cross to the other side of the street for our own safety. It’s hard for us to relate to many of the bible stories, since the world has changed so much. It would be great to hear more updated versions of the stories. 

For example, the good Samaritan could be retold in a way we could relate to. If instead of a man beaten in the street, we instead looked at a bully in the hallway. How do we act as the good Samaritan to those being bullied or harassed in our daily lives? Instead of crossing ‘the street’, you can go to the victim's side and be a friend to help diffuse the situation. This would be the right thing to do as modern day good Samaritan.