“Five little pumpkins jumped on a fence, one fell off and bumped their head. Drac called the Doctor and the Doctor said, “No more pumpkins jumping on the fence!”
Imagine the faces of thirty young children, ranging from toddlers to grade school. Singing this fun adaptation of “Five Little Monkeys” for October’s Spooky season. It was only my second week teaching a weekly sing-a-long session with the daycare youth. The first week, they were shy and their singing was very quiet. But by week two, I was recognized as “the Pastor who sings with us.” There was lots of chatter, moving around the fellowship hall, and laughter as we sang the final spooky verse.
“No more pumpkins jumping on the fence, none fell off and bumped their heads.
Drac called the Doctor and the Doctor said,
“Here’s five new ghosts to dance on the fence … BOO!”
After only two weeks of music lessons, the daycare youth started to trust me. When passing me in the hallways, they would start to sing: “Five Little Pumpkins.” They would ask: “Is today song day?” “What are we going to sing next?”
The trust the children give is something I don’t take for granted. It is something I want to continue to support and fulfill. It is my hope that this weekly sing-a-long becomes an opportunity to grow, learn some music, and build trust in each other. Little children are quicker to trust than adults are. That is part of why daycare workers and teachers need to be vetted as trustworthy and caring adults, before working with children. Families need to be assured that their children’s caregivers are trustworthy people with good hearts.
But children are not the only people in need of trustworthy relationships. Adults need to give and receive trust through relationships too.
What do you need to trust another person?
In order for all of us to have healthy relationships, trust is an essential foundation. Over time and changing circumstances, people need to prove that they are reliable and trustworthy. As I ponder new ways to build good relationships with my sing-a-long group, I look into various Gospel accounts that tell stories of trustworthy people. What are the characteristics of trust anyway? I opened my Bible and I came across three Gospel accounts that gave examples.
The first two were the parableA parable is a brief story with a setting, an action, and a result. A prominent aspect of Jesus' teaching was telling parables to illustrate something about the kingdom, or reign, of God. More of the Good SamaritanSamaritans were a people who mostly lived between Galilee and Judea and were avoided or shunned by mainstream Judaism. Jesus' message, however, was so inclusive that he often spoke favorably of Samaritans as he did with the woman at the well (John 4) and in... More (LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. More 10:25-37), and the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:1-14 ). In these stories, the people from Samaria are found to be trustworthy and full of faith!
1. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the injured Jewish man is ignored by his fellow countrymen (PriestA priest is a person who has the authority to perform religious rites. In New Testament times priests were responsible for daily offerings and sacrifices in the temple. More/Levite); but he finds brotherhood and overflowing hospitality in the actions of the “Good” Samaritan. The actions of the foreigner make way for healing and new life.
2. In the account of the Samaritan woman at the well, social mores prohibiting JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More to speak to her are bypassed. This makes a way for the Samaritan woman, once cut off from community, to become the person to bring good news to her city. The actions of the twice outcast woman (by Israel and her fellow Samaritan neighbors) bring hope and healing to her community.
In these accounts, Jesus chooses to lift up the Samaritan person, as the person who embodies faith and trust.
Jesus’ choice of trustworthy Samaritan people pushed against generational conflicts between the Samaritan and Jewish peoples. In Jesus’ day, the Samaritan was considered a foreigner, outsider, or even an enemy of the Jewish community. Historically there were religious differences between the Jews and the Samaritans: fighting over where God was to be worshiped, what scriptures were sacred, and who their religious leaders could be.
These religious differences caused division between the Jews and the Samaritans for thousands of years; and yet when Jesus teaches about people of faith, mercyMercy is a term used to describe leniency or compassion. God's mercy is frequently referred to or invoked in both the Old and New Testaments. More, and love (or people who could be trusted) he names three Samaritans.
In the third Samaritan story (Luke 17:11-19), ten men with leprosy approach Jesus for healing. Jesus heals all ten men, and the Samaritan man is the only one to turn and extend gratitude. This man who returned received an additional blessingBlessing is the asking for or the giving of God's favor. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau. At the Last Supper Jesus offered a blessing over bread and wine. To be blessed is to be favored by God. More from Jesus: “Get up and go on your way; your faith (trust) has made you well (saved you).”
Jesus did not hesitate to heal him. He did not question him on the complicated past between the Jews and Samaritans. He did not ask the man for the correct place to worship God. Jesus exemplifies what it means to be trustworthy in his ongoing extension of love, mercy, and gratitude. In return the Samaritan man responds with the same.
Jesus and the healed Samaritan man, through their actions, move beyond the pain of the past and step into a new future together. A future where trustworthy people act with mercy, healing, and love. In order to be considered trustworthy, these Jesus stories give us some guidance.
In a world full of ever increasing conflicts, it can be tempting to abandon the efforts of love, mercy, and gratitude. We see so many terrifying examples of hurt, hatred, and violence. We experience losses of friend and family relationships over differences that push us apart. But what would happen if we chose to take a step towards one another? What could happen if we opened the doors of our lives to the power of love, mercy, and gratitude? What if we took a cue from Jesus, and his affirming stories of Samaritan people? As I look at Jesus’ Samaritan stories, I find a new perspective on how and who to trust.
Who we trust has less to do with where people are from and how they worship God; and more to do with giving and receiving love, mercy and gratitude with all peoples.
Who would have thought singing Halloween songs could be the means of experiencing more love, mercy, and trust in my little corner of the world? I’m not sure how love works her way into our everyday lives, but you better believe, I trust it!
Love, mercy, and gratitude have a way of showing up if we give them a chance. Where can you share some love, mercy, and gratitude in your life?
