Blog 810 – 11.10.2017

Remember Rueben James?

I made reference a few days ago to Jesus telling The Good Samaritan Story in answer to the the right wing religious guy of his day, a Pharisee, who questioned him, “Who is my brother?” The story depicts the true brother as one who meets your need despite his or your color, creed, political party, or sports team affiliation. I threw in that last one because here in Cheesehead country they take football very serious. I have worked on the road full time for over five years now and it is my custom to buy a local sports team cap to “fit in.” When I got to Wisconsin over a year ago I bought a nice Green Bay Packers ball cap. The first day I wore it to work the foreman on the job looked me in the hat and in a very stern voice said, “Don’t wear it unless you mean it!” Way too intense devotion to a sports team for me but since I paid a nice price for the hat I will wear it if I like. And the Packers like any other football team will have to make it to the Super Bowl if they expect me to watch them play.

Football and politics aside, do you remember the song, Rueben James? It was one of the early hit songs by Kenny Rogers. The first few lines tell the story:

“The gossip of Madison County died with child

And even though your skin was black

You were the one who didn’t turn your back

On a hungry white child with no name, Ruben James.”

I love that song and more than most it sweetly tells the same lesson Jesus was trying to teach in The Good Samaritan Story. In another place Jesus said something like if you are only good to your family and people like you, how are you any different from the worst people you can imagine for even they do that. What Jesus came to remind us is that we are all family, neighbors, and that some of our family and neighbors needs our help more than others and that is where we should be spending our time, our effort, and our money. So different than the message we hear every day. “Me and mine. Only the rich and powerful deserve the best.” Rueben James did not think so and neither do I.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White