Like the Good Samaritan

Whenever I read the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible, I find myself resolving, “I, too, should practice that kind of love.” But I had never thought about how the man who was helped by the Samaritan must have felt. Nor did I ever imagined that my family and I would one day find ourselves in that very position.

One day, my daughter went out for a walk with her dog and fell while going down a slope. The pain was so intense that she couldn’t get back on her feet. Since it was a rarely used path, and no one was around to help, she found herself in a truly distressing situation.

Just then, a car drove by and stopped. The driver stepped out and asked her to move out of the way. When she replied that she couldn’t get up, the driver got back into the car and maneuvered around her. Another driver from a following car briefly got out to check the situation but soon left as well.

She tried calling me, but I was out of town and unreachable at the time; even if I had received the call, it would have taken me a while to get there. As she sat helplessly and alone, another car finally approached, and this driver was not like the others. He came over, asked if she was okay, and checked her condition. Seeing her sitting on the cold ground, he took a cushion from his car and gently placed it under her. He called emergency services and even made sure our dog was safe and calm. Even when my daughter told him, “You must be busy, you can go,” he stayed by her side, comforting her until the paramedics arrived. His kindness was so overwhelming that my daughter asked for his contact information, hoping to express her gratitude. But he simply said, “It was just something anyone should do,” and quietly left.

At the hospital, the tests revealed that she had three fractures and even a torn tendon. Fortunately, immediate surgery wasn’t required, giving us time to explore treatment options and consult other hospitals. That night, after hearing the full story, I said to my daughter, “The person who helped you is just like the Good Samaritan.”

The next day, after Sabbath service, as we were leaving the church, a male adult member walking toward us recognized my daughter and said, “Weren’t you the one who had the accident yesterday?” To our surprise, he was the “Good Samaritan” who had helped her. Our family had only recently moved into the neighborhood and hadn’t yet realized we were fellow members of Zion.

Later that evening, during dinner, I told my husband that the person who had helped our daughter was actually a member of our church. My husband was amazed. He couldn’t believe that a member of Zion happened to pass by at that very moment and place. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, my husband had attended an exhibition titled “Father’s Tur Heart” Exhibition, deeply moved, and received the blessing of a new life. Since then, he had only kept the Passover, never really attending Sabbath services. Last year, shortly after we moved, he joined us for one Sabbath service at our encouragement. After the service, a kind middle-aged gentleman approached to my husband and greeted him, introduce himself, saying he also lived in our neighborhood. It turned out that he was the very same person who had helped our daughter. My husband seemed even more surprised and deeply moved by that fact.

Until that morning, my husband had been reluctant to attend the worship the next day, but when I suggested we go thank the member in person, he agreed without hesitation. After the evening worship, we expressed our heartfelt gratitude to the kind brother, our “Good Samaritan.”

Touched by the member’s kindness, my husband’s heart opened. Just a few days later, during a family gathering for Lunar New Year, he announced, “I’ve decided to attend worship at least once a month.” I had never imagined that such words would come from his lips. Since then, he has been faithfully keeping that promise.

Through this experience, I realized how important it is to show love to our neighbors, just like the “Good Samaritan,” anytime and anywhere. The love shown by the brother not only helped my injured daughter be safely transported to the hospital, but also led my husband’s soul back to the path of life. I truly believe that every moment of this experience was filled with the love of God Elohim, who desires to save Their children. I earnestly pray that my husband will realize the love of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother and receive abundant blessings of the kingdom of heaven. Just as God teaches us to “go and do likewise,” I, too, will strive to be a child of God who shares genuine love with my neighbors and dedicates my heart to saving souls, anytime and anywhere.



One winter day, while driving down a steep hill, I saw a lady sitting collapsed on the ground. The weather was quite chilly, and it wasn’t a place where anyone should be sitting, so I was concerned; and it seemed she couldn’t get up. I pulled over and approached to check on her, and she said she had fallen. I asked for her permission and tried to help her up, but she couldn’t stand. When I asked if she could contact her family, she said they were in another area and it would take about an hour for them to arrive.

I immediately called 911 and brought a living room blanket I happened to have in my car to place under her, helping her stay warm. Her dog, who had been by her side, seemed anxious, perhaps sensing that its owner was hurt. As a dog owner myself, I felt sad about that sight. So I tried to calm the dog down and take care of her dog as well.

When she asked for my phone number to repay me, I told her, “This is something that could happen to anyone. I just helped as I was passing by. Since we live in the same neighborhood, we can just say hello if we run into each other again.” After making sure that she was safely on her way to the hospital in the ambulance, I went on my way.

I never imagined that greeting her again would happen the very next day, on the Sabbath, in Zion. Looking back now, I cannot help but feel that God guided me to that exact place to help one of His children in need. It reminded me of God’s promise that He watches over His children like the apple of His eye, always and everywhere.

As it turned out, she was the daughter of a brother in our group who had transferred to our church about a month earlier. When he first attended the worship after moving in, I briefly saw him and greeted him, but at the time, he seemed to feel a bit awkward. But after that incident, when he came to Zion, he was noticeably more open and comfortable. Smiling, he said, “There are many angels in our church.” I could truly feel the sincere gratitude of a father whose daughter had been helped. Seeing how moved he was, I felt even more touched and thankful myself.

Though I had heard the Parable of the Good Samaritan countless times before, actually encountering a neighbor in immediate need as a passerby made me reflect more deeply on just how crucial the Samaritan’s help must have been to the man who was attacked in the story. Not passing by someone in trouble and reaching out a helping hand—even if it’s a small act—can be incredibly meaningful to the person receiving it, and it seems to have a positive impact on those around as well. It’s also an opportunity for the one who helps to store up blessings. After all, Jesus told us to be the salt and light of the world. Just as I was blessed through this experience, I made a firm resolution to always practice good deeds according to God’s teachings and to fulfill the role of a Good Samaritan spiritually as well. With a heart that shows compassion for a single soul, and with a heart resembling that of our Heavenly Father and Mother, I will dedicate myself to the work of saving souls.