"For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you … No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out." As much as we like to pretend otherwise, we know perfectly well who our neighbor is and how they should be treated. But just like the priest and the Levite, we can always come up with an excuse to justify walking on the other side of the road. We get so invested in our ideologies and assumptions, that refusing to give mercy and love can actually feel like righteousness. And sometimes, we get so consumed by an indignant sense of justice, that we do injustice to our brothers and sisters. Perhaps you have seen evidence of that phenomenon this weekend? There is good news, however, because it turns out that the Samaritan is not a foreigner after all. No, it is a truth "very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out."