A Modern Parable: Who Was My Neighbor?
October 13th, 2006 at 11:13 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
While this is a parable, it is true and real. So, listen up, if you will:
The mostly pleasant stay in the ICU in Durango a couple of weeks ago was not without it’s more unsavory, even grim moments.
The second day I was there, despite having not eaten anything whatsoever in three days, my stomach was completely messed up and for a couple of hours I suffered terribly from what we’d call in Mexico "Montezuma’s Revenge."
If you’ve never suffered from this calamity, it is a terrible one in any event, causing one to have to hang out in a bathroom because the scourge occurs without much, if any, warning. You can only imagine, and probably don’t want to, what it would be like to experience while bedfast in a hospital bed with tubes and wires hooked up all over the place. Like I say, it was grim.
And my nurse that day was Jim.
I started not to give his name, but he deserves full credit for his actions, which were not only necessary as part of his work (I could not be such a kind and loving nurse, I don’t think), but very kind and compassionate toward me as well. He cleaned me up.
In the middle of all of that, a face appeared in the doorway. The slight man had on slacks, a dark gray broadcloth shirt buttoned up to the collar, and carried a Bible under his arm. He was the paid hospital chaplain.
He turned pale and started backing out of the room, mumbling "perhaps I might go over to the other side of the hall and come back a little while later at a more convenient time."
I turned to Jim when he left and said, "perhaps he came a few moments too late or could have hung around to help if he were a true man of God like you." (I was in no mood to be anything other than blunt and honest in that moment, which may reflect on me, but I hope not on the story or on Jim.)
Shortly thereafter, Jim had to leave to carry some of the refuse out to be laundered. He left me on a bedpan this time in bed. Terribly uncomfortable, but needed.
That’s when Docter Miller walked in the room. The cardiologist the ICU doctors had called in. She began asking me my medical history so quickly I didn’t have a chance to explain my circumstances. When she finally asked me to sit up further in the bed so she could listen to my heart. I told her I was on a bedpan and couldn’t. She went into action.
I started to protest, but she wouldn’t hear it. She took over and started working to help me get cleaned up. Jim was hovering just outside and rushed in to help, too. It went much easier this time and she got to listen to my heart following. I wondered if she could hear the gratitude I felt in it toward her.
The next afternoon, a technician, Laura, came in to do an echocardiogram of my heart while I was lying in bed. She had to pull down my already skimpy gown to do so. Guess who walked in, gawking this time?
The paid "servant of God" looked at me, Laura looked at him and swiftly and quietly covered up my boob, not saying a word. He again excused himself, stiff collar, clutched Bible and all, and went on his way. I told Laura what had happened the day before and how I felt about it (okay, the chaplain) already, and that my mind certainly wasn’t changed by this second encounter. I called Jim, once again, a true man of God and praised Doctor Miller as well.
Then I said, "I guess I’m too cynical to be a Christian, do you think?"
She said, "Oh – you mean you’re an honest Christian? How refreshing!"
I just wondered what Jesus might have said.
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"25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " ‘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.’"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
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P. S. I just posted the companion story over at the brand new Grace Notes website, so check it out, too. Dee
You have me crying this morning.
Isn’t it amazing how seldom God’s angels are disguised as men of God and how often they are presented as ordinary people serving in extraordinary ways!
I am glad you made Jim a Grace note!
"Do this and you will live"I wish more often I "lived" life abundant that is offered here and now.I hope someone told the paid guy what you said.
Not every chaplain should be a chaplain!
I sort of feel sorry for the guy. Who knows what issues cause him to act that way. I could just see him telling himself as he walked in the room the second time, "Can’t blow it like I did yesterday…can’t blow it like I did yesterday" only to blow it again.I am awefully sorry you had to experience this, though. Glad to hear you are in spirits to share the story.
Hey Mom,
Technically we all fail to qualify for God’s Grace Note list. Only Jesus Christ fully qualified. I like to think of the one who is the most gracious as the one who is wronged the most but who loves without ever ceasing to love in return. My favorite example is the story of the Prodigal sons. Yes, plural on the sons. The elder son was just as guilty as the younger son of wanting the father’s inheritance. In Eastern cultures taking the inheritance before the father is dead is the same as wishing the father dead. The older son took his share of the inheritance without any protest.
God created man in His image for love and man has continually rejected God’s love. The bible is a story of love from beginning to the end in Revelation where God is wronged but gracious and loving toward man even when He unleashes his wrath and judgment in Revelation. Even with all the pain and suffering of judgment the majority of mean refuse to repent of their rejection of God’s love toward them.
Some men of the cloth have way to much starch.
Dee, this is one of those TMI stories that I am so glad you told. Your transperancy is a wonderful example of what we should be like with each other — open and honest.
Hey Dee – It’s been a while since I came by –Sorry to find you in hospital and "out of sorts". I’m glad you had angels of mercy to come to your rescue.
I am thinking you may be being a tad to hardon the chaplain guy — I suspect some ladies might have clobbered him if he had tried to come in and help — but then maybe II’m just making excuses because I might well have reacted in a similar way (as much as I’d like to think I wouldn’t).
Anyhow – Get well – Get home soon.
God Bless
Charlie
Dee,
Could you give me your sister, Laura’s email? I thought I had it but cannot locate it, and I wanted to get a message to her.
Good post!
Hope to visit here again when I can stay a little longer.
Hi Dee,I’m sort of with Charlie here. As one who may often be in the position of calling on hospital patients in awkward circumstances, what should a minister do in such circumstances — start "laying hands on" women he doesn’t know very well in an effort to help? Is that his role when there are trained people around to take care of those personal needs?A few weeks ago I stopped by the hospital to visit a very dear woman who had fallen and broken her hip. She had just been moved to a new room and was not completely settled. This woman has never been anything but loving, kind, and welcoming to me. I asked the nurse if it was OK for me to go in and she assured me that it was. But as I stuck my head in the door, the dear sister gestured that I should go away — she was not looking her best and to her, it was important that she not be seen that way. I stood out in the hall and the woman’s daughter came out and we visited for a while. It did not matter to me what this sister looked like, but it mattered to her, and it would have been wrong of me to insist on being "helpful" in those circumstances. I can’t help but think that the hospital chaplain may have been just as much concerned for your comfort level as for his own. Hey, this whole experience has made for some great posts. Hope you are feeling well.