This Sunday, we’ll hear the Parable of the Good Samaritan—the story of a man who is beaten, left for dead, and passed over by those you’d expect to stop. And then, someone comes along—someone unexpected—who sees his pain, steps in, and offers help.
It’s a story about seeing—and choosing not to look away.
Pastor Cameron Trimble recently wrote these words:
“Hope is not wishful thinking. It is the discipline of refusing to surrender to despair. It is the practice of solidarity, courage, and sacred imagination… Let us not look away. Let us not remain polite when clarity is required. Let us not wait for permission to do what we already know is right.”
That line—“Let us not look away”—stays with me.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was dangerous. People had reasons to keep walking. But the Samaritan chose to stop. He let his heart break open. He allowed his plans to be interrupted. He practiced hope, not as optimism, but as a choice to act in the face of pain.
In a world where there is so much suffering—violence, injustice, fear—it can be tempting to shut down, to scroll past, to keep walking. But Jesus calls us to be neighbors. And sometimes, being a neighbor means crying with someone. It means choosing courage. It means believing that love can still make a difference, even when the road is rough and the system is broken.
Oscar Romero once said, “There are many things that can only be seen through eyes that have cried.”
Hope is not passive. It’s something we practice.
Hope shows up in the Samaritan who stopped.
Hope shows up in every act of compassion.
Hope shows up in us—when we refuse to look away.
Let’s keep practicing.
We are in this together.
–Pastor Travis
✅ Reflection Question
Who is someone in your life—or in the world—you are tempted to “walk past”? What would it look like to stop, see their pain, and respond with hope this week?