speak of a Samaritan showing mercy to a Jew (rather than a Jewish priest
of scholar) was verging on blasphemy. At the end of this parable, when
Jesus asks who the beaten man's neighbor was the Lawyer cannot even
bring himself to say the Samaritan. Instead he must say "the one who
showed mercy." This mercy however is exactly what Jesus wants us to
show our neighbors. It is something that seems so simple yet is one of the
most difficult things for us as Christians to accomplish. One of the most
important and simple sounding parts of entering the Kingdom is in reality
one of the most difficult. This however is something that The Mission to
Seafarers strives to do on a daily basis.
This love of one's neighbor essentially comes down to being with another
human being in that moment. For example there is a ship that comes into
Hong Kong every week sailing from Taipei, and I have become very good
friends with the chief cook onboard. He is a massive man from Myanmar
and one of the nicest people I have met. He is constantly running around
trying to make sure that everyone is taken care of. A couple of weeks
back we were talking over a cup of coffee and he was telling me about life
onboard for him and about life in Myanmar. He was very frustrated with
some things with food on the ship and with the political situation back
home. There was not much I could do but listen. However the next week
I saw him he said that just being able to get these things off of his chest
had made a major difference.
In March I also went onboard a ship on which a crew member had been
lost at sea. It was around 6pm and I was getting ready to go see my
girlfriend for dinner. I then received a call from this ship requesting a
chaplain come onboard to pray with the crew. I had no clue who these
men were but these crew members were my neighbors more than anyone
else I knew at that moment. They had suffered a terrible loss and needed a
neighbor, and a friend. I went on board the ship and said a few prayers
with those seafarers who were off duty and then just sat in the recreation
room with them trying to process everything that was going on.
On this sea Sunday I ask that you all not only remember the good
Samaritan but strive to be like him. Strive truly to love your neighbor as
yourself. Really listen to those that are speaking to you and be in that
moment with them. I also ask that you pray for those men and women
who are working at sea and for their loved ones, and please continue to
P. 8

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