A Modern Good Samaritan Tale
A group of people were leaving church after a weekly morning prayer.
A young man came to the door. He was distraught. He was an Eastern European Jew. He had no money. He and is wife had nowhere to go, until Friday when they had a room. He had no food.
He'd phoned our local (High Anglican church). He couldn't get through to the priest, but managed to find a phone number for the church warden. As he explained how he had nothing, no money, no food, nowhere to stay she paused. Then she put the phone down on him.
He had walked half a mile to the next possible place of sanctuary, our local church. More low church, messier, noisy, unkempt. This church runs a food bank with free food, food pantry where families can buy healthy food at very low cost, debt advice and more.
Churches also are home to various clubs, craft club, knitting club, scouts, brownies. At our church the desperate man arrived. He spotted a visitor from the craft club leaving. He asked for help.
Guessing his nationality or faith she replied "This isn't a synagogue, you know. We can't help you."
The curate for the church spotted the conversation. She quietly went over to the man and began to ask him about his situation. Him and his wife had fled their country for fear of persecution. In the UK, they had been given a small room in a bad area. Whilst living in the room, waiting for proper accommodation they were robbed, leaving them with just a backpack with some clothes. They had been told to leave their room. The council had a new room available, but not straight away. In a few days they could rest, but until then were homeless.Â
Had the man been single, there is a fair possibility that he would have ended up on the streets, or maybe ending it all. But his wife gave him added responsibility. Care and love gave him a reason to keep going.
The curate told him that although the food bank had closed, she and her friend would make sure he had some supplies, food, drink etc. His wife was menstruating and had no money for sanitary products.
Another elderly lady, who volunteers at the church and food-bank, listened to the man's plight. She really listened to him. She took time to acknowledge him. And she quietly gave him £200 in order to pay for a room to be safe in, until his new place was free.
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