The Good Samaritan, Circa 2016 Act III

Each year, my classes rewrite the Parable of the Good Samaritan, putting it into the context of their teenage worlds. Here is the third of several looks at the efforts of some of my high school students in my Gospels classes. All are used by permission with girls in pink and boys in blue.

A little girl was playing with her dolls in the street when some older girls came and tried to take her dolls from her. The little girl resisted so the big girls beat her up and took everything from her. She was left on the street with nothing. Her mom passed by and saw her there but did nothing. She had to cook dinner for her husband and could not be interrupted. Then her older sister came out and saw her. She did nothing to help her because she was running late for her date. She left her little sister in the street injured. Then, a random old woman walked by and analyzed the situation. She put bandages on her and took her to the hospital to be taken care of. She paid for everything and went out and got her new dolls. She continued to help her from then on.

Natalia Robles

One day after school, this scrawny, quiet boy was walking home carrying his band instrument and heavy backpack. As he walks around the corner he runs into a jogger, falls, and rolls his ankle. The jogger keeps running because he wants to make his time. The boy lies on the ground, holding his ankle, and weeping. His brother and brother’s friends see him but take a shortcut to avoid him, because they were embarrassed to see him weeping like that. Next, the most popular girl in school walks by and sees that he is in pain. She stops and gives him a hand. She helps him hobble all the way home. The boy was in shock that the most beautiful girl in the school would stop to help him. They became best friends, and from then on, they walked home together everyday.

Marissa Banfield

One day a man was mountain biking in Memorial Park through the trails. He accidentally hit a stump and was thrown ten feet off his bike into the bush. He had a broken leg and a broken collar bone; he couldn't get up and needed assistance. He heard a noise and saw a runner listening to Christian music blasting out of her headphones. She looked at him and just continued running. Then, he saw the park manager walk by with his walkie-talkie. The park manager caught a glance of him but continued walking. But a homeless man with a backpack and torn up clothes came by. The homeless man helped him up, walked him to the curb, and called for an ambulance.

Alex Peters

One day a young girl was playing basketball at the park. Her ball went off the court and into the street. She was very hesitant and against her better judgement, she followed the ball into the street. As she crossed the middle of the street, she was attacked by a rabid squirrel and was stuck in the middle of the busy road. Her clothes were tattered and her leg was broken. She was in tremendous pain and in need of much help. A policeman in pursuit of someone who ran a stop sign sped past her to catch the perpetrator. Next, her older sister was on her bike and asked if she was okay, but didn't wait for an answer. She was not planning to stop anyway. She was training for a triathlon. Alone and distressed, the girl became helpless. A bully, Jimmy passed her, felt pity and carried her out of the street and got her ball. They later became best of friends.

Laura Daulton

Here is one of my two favorite renditions by 8th grader Chelsey Villarreal in 2006. (Chelsey became my teacher's aide! And as you might guess, she was a cheerleader!)
One day, there was this really nerdy guy who was riding his bike home from school. Out of nowhere, he got hit by a car! The driver just kept driving, not thinking twice about it. The first to walk by was the valedictorian. He looked at the boy and calculated how fast the bike was moving and how fast the car was going for him to get hit and be thrown that far. When he figured out the problem, he left and went home to start on his homework. Next, a football player ran by. He said the boy would make a good tackling dummy, laughed for awhile, and left. Then, a gorgeous cheerleader walked by. She grabbed her cell phone, and called for help. She went with the boy to the doctor. The boy ended up being the school mascot, all because of the cheerleader!
THE END
Chelsey

Applicable quote of the day: “I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.”
Walt Whitman
God bless, Steve Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com