[Dialogue] A Fable

[KroegerD@aol.com]

After a recent meeting with my state senator, who admonished me and the church for lobbying her rather than taking care of the issues we were discussing housing, health care, minimum wage, child care; I began to see where there are those of good will that believe that it is the task of the church to nurture members in the hopes that that nuture will equip and inspire them to "feed my sheep"; and that the local congregation has no place in influencing public policy.

The story that follows really helps me to reaffirm my believe that the church, without a social justice position is not the Church of Jesus christ.  What do you think?

-- 
Dick Kroeger


Once there was a farming town that could be reached by a narrow road with a bad curve in it.  There were frequent accidents on the road, especially at the curve, and the preacher would preach to the people of the town to make sure that they were Good Samaritans.   And so they were, as they would pick the people up on the road,  for this was a religious work.  Then one day someone suggested they buy an ambulance to get the accident victims to the town hospital more quickly.  They preacher preached and the people gave, for this was a religious work.   Then one day a councilman suggested that the town authorize building a wider road and taking out the dangerous curve.  Now it happened that the mayor had a farm market right at the curve on the road and he was against taking out the curve.  Someone asked the preacher to say a word to the mayor and the congregation next Sunday about it.   But the preacher and most of the people figured they had better stay out of politics; so next Sunday the preacher preached the Good Samaritan Gospel and encouraged the people to continue their fine work of picking up accident victims -- which they did.

It is credited to Francis X  Meehan  From "Ministry in the Church:  A Structural Concern for Justice,"  Review for Religious, Jan. 1978.

and thanks to Gail Anderson for delivering this story to me at a time when I really needed it.