I have been re-reading one of my favorite books over the past couple of days"Off the Map" by Hib & Kika. This is a rare endeavor for me, I rarely read a book more than once, but the imagery is so beautiful in this story; when I need to read something uplifting it's always a good read. One passage struck me today though, reminding me of the parable of the Good Samaritan:

"It wasn't exactly a high traffic area. Every five minutes a car of churchgoers sped by in their Sunday best. My mood had put a big dopey smile on my face, which I directed outwards at my fellow humans, the goodness of whom I fully trusted we would soon be graced with.

Unfortunately most of these humans were more interested in gracing God than in gracing us, and their worship bound minivans with rows of empty pew-like seats had a funny way of speeding up when they saw us standing on the shoulder. After a while the shoulder began to feel like an armpit. My faith was wilting."

Now, this isn't about a beaten man in need of help and receiving nothing from the pious, but the element of avoiding coming to the aid of a fellow human being is certainly there. The hypocrisy of teaching love and practicing avoidance for the sake of, ultimately, yourself.