Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
- Matthew 7:1-2
The other day, I ran into AutoZone to grab something, the kind of 2-minute errand where you’re trying to get in and out as quickly as possible. But on my way back to my car, I saw something that gave me pause.
In a nearby parking spot, a woman was hunched over the open hood of her car. Now, that’s pretty typical at AutoZone; I wouldn’t have stopped for that. What made we hesitate was the sight of an unkempt man, pretty clearly homeless, approaching her. Concerned he was going to bother her, I took a step forward to intervene.
But before I could say a word, the man asked her if she needed help. Initially startled, she told him she was trying to check her oil level but didn’t know how. So the man lifted the dipstick out of her hood, rubbed it on his jacket, and showed her exactly what she needed to know. Once he was satisfied that she understood, he shut the hood for her and continued on his way without another word.
This man—who I perceived as threatening because he was homeless—ended up being more of a helper to the woman than the pastor did.
When Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, the primary lesson was about what it means to be a neighbor. But secondarily, that story was also a reminder not to make assumptions about who is “good” and who is not—to judge not, lest we be judged.
We know who we expect to be good neighbors—the people who look and think and believe like we do. These are the people we are most comfortable being around, the ones we go to first when we need help. But make no mistake: there are plenty of Good Samaritans—and, yes, good, unhoused people—among you too. Set your expectations aside and give them a chance to be your neighbor.
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