
Stained glass window depicting the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Church of Saint-Eutrope in Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme, France), image from Wikimedia Commons
Tonight’s bedtime prayers with the kids had a good “teachable moment”.
I prayed that the refugee situation would end well, with all of the displaced and frightened people having their needs met. My inquisitive kids asked what refugees are, and I explained in simple terms that didn’t involve discussing terrorism, Syrian politics, or Islamic extremism. This led to some muddled (but earnest) questions from Lily (4.5), who tried to connect everything to Star Wars or Doctor Who. So, I explained the situation using elements of Star Wars, connecting the Empire with terrorists, and I must have used the word parable, because I then had to explain what one was.
So, I paraphrased for them the parable of the Good Samaritan. I connected the robbed and beaten man with the ...