Jesus and W.C. Fields

Scripture
Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?” He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?” He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.” “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.” Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?” (Luke 10:25-29 MSG)

Jesus and W.C. Fields
My misspent youth memorizing comedy routines and imitating favourite comedians can still open all sorts of ridiculous doors at my geezer stage. One recent morning my gospel contemplation of Jesus’ conversation with a religious legal expert was salted with the voice of W.C. Fields, himself a salty comedian and movie star in the 1930’s. And no, I didn’t see him live.

Fields reportedly was dying in hospital and a visitor knowing his notoriety, was shocked to see him reading a Bible. To her “What are you doing with the Bible?”, Shields replied “Looking for loopholes!”.

He spoke with a distinct voice out of a clenched mouth and that’s what I heard in the voice of Jesus’ questioner asking, “Who is my neighbour?” as an attempt to make himself look good and maybe reduce responsibility. And then I heard my own voice sometimes doing the same thing.

Jesus’ portrait of the Good Samaritan neighbour forces us to see need and take responsibility – he says, “Do this” not “Add this concept to your inventory”. That morning I said “Lord have mercy on me” for the many times I can define and even teach “neighbour” but fail to “do” neighbour for those who come into my life.

A Prayer for Today

O God of kindness and mercy, help us not to take that kindness for granted or as an excuse to avoid being the neighbour you want us to be in our homes, communities, and globe. Keep us from trite words that sound good and make us feel good. Let us see clearly your presence in those in need   …. For Jesus’ sake