A Word from Joel - March 12, 2025

“But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion.”
Luke 10:33

For many of us, it’s easier to give help than to receive it. This explains why in the
parable of the Good Samaritan, most of us identify with the characters in a position to offer help (the Levite, priest or Samaritan), rather than the person in need of
help (the man robbed and left for dead). This says something about how we see
ourselves. How easy is it for you to receive help when you need it? Are you able to
receive help without feeling ashamed? If not, then you will never be able to give help to
others without shaming them in the process. If needing help feels shameful to you, then
giving help to others will always come with a side of judgment and shame. I don’t like
either, but we cannot give what we don’t have.

The good news is that when we acknowledge our shame, we can learn to resist it. Mr.
Rogers once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or
receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one
of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver
and a receiver.” Before it’s over, Jesus will play both the role of the Samaritan and the
one beaten and left for dead. He gives and receives mercy all without shame, and he
does so because he is committed to being our neighbor, to love us as he loves himself.
For it is only the wounded who can heal, and God in Christ is willing to be wounded so
that we might be healed.

The Elders and Deacons of Covenant are working to restore the practice of in-home
communion. If you would like to receive in-home communion or know a Covenant
member who would, please reach out to the office and let us know. You can email the
church at covenant@covenantpcusa.org or call the office at (614) 451-6677. St. Francis
famously said that it is in giving that we receive, and the inverse can also be true. In
receiving, we give others the opportunity to give, which is a great blessing. Each one of
us is both giver and receiver, just as God intended.

One Struggle to Love,

Rev. Joel A. Esala

1 A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org