Because we've heard the story of the Good Samaritan so often, we can miss the point that God's love shows up in unexpected places.

Jesus narrates the story. The religious leaders, the priest and the Levite, pass by the man in need on the other side of the road. They thought it best not to get into trouble by coming in contact with a bloody, beat-up guy.

The lawyer listening to Jesus' story would have been surprised that the Samaritan - an outsider in their context - is moved to compassion. The Samaritan exhibits neighborly love through physical care to someone deemed culturally unlovable. In the story, love comes from the one least expected to stop and help.

Jesus calls us to do likewise, to show mercy to those our world deems unlovable. We can also learn to look for the Spirit of God's love at work in surprising places - in the AIDS clinic, in the homeless shelter, in the neighborhood of immigrants, at that other table across the cafeteria, and within yourself.

by Meredith Shaw from d365.org