From my book In a World of Tears and Sorrow, a poetic prayer taking as its starting point Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan concerning a friend in time of need.
A group of thieves were waiting
A group of thieves were waiting
as a man came passing by.
They beat him up and robbed him,
then just left him there to die.
‘Someone help me! Someone help me!
Will you help in time of need?
Please, I beg you, come and save me!
Won’t you do this one good deed?’
A priest came by and saw him;
thought, ‘My goodness, I must fly!
I’ll be safe if I ignore him’ –
so he left him there to die.
A Levite proved as heartless:
for he heard the poor man’s cry,
but he hurried off regardless
and just left him there to die.
A third man heard him pleading,
so he stopped to find out why.
When he saw the man was bleeding,
he refused to let him die.
Samaritan and stranger,
he could just have walked on by,
but he put himself in danger
so another didn’t die.
‘I will help you, gladly help you –
yes, I’ll help you out, indeed.
Let me tend you, let me mend you –
be a friend in time of need.’