Parable of the Good Samaritan is also relevant for Muslim-Christian relations today
Parable of the Good Samaritan is also relevant for Muslim-Christian relations today
In 2004, Missio/Germany invited me to speak about Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt during a one month tour around Germany. During this tour, I was also asked to give sermons in German churches. Naturally, this was not something that I, a sociologist, was accustomed to; but it was good to reflect on Biblical principles about who our neighbor is.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan starts with a discussion between Jesus and an expert in the Jewish law. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” the expert in Jewish law asks. Jesus answers with a question: “What is written in the Law?” The expert in the law, of course, knew the answer: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” But who is our neighbor? The expert in the law asks Jesus who answers with the parable of the Good Samaritan [Luke 10: 25-37]. Through the parable, Jesus was able to explain that our neighbor is not only someone belonging to our own circle but also people of different cultures and religions.
Recently, I was asked to give the same sermon in the church service of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Sharia Port Said, Maadi. The church service is on Friday July 10 and starts at 10.00 am.
(Please note that all guests are welcome, including non-Episcopals or and non-Christians).
You are welcome to join us for coffee, tea, and chat following the church
service.
Cornelis Hulsman,
Editor-in-chief Arab-West Report
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Emerging Perspectives on Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Dialogue Across Borders is a database of summary translations of Arabic newspaper articles with references to their sources about intercultural and interreligious relations, focusing primarily but not exclusively on Muslim-Christian relations. The database also contains articles with editorial analysis and interviews on the subject.