watercress words by Dr Aletha

Samaritan’s Purse doctor treating a victim of the Nepal earthquake

Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan to answer the question, “Who is my neighbor? “ The term “good Samaritan” means a person who goes out of their way to help someone, especially a stranger, often at personal sacrifice .

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

It also answers the question “Who gives health care?” Though no medical professionals are in the story, many health care facilities and charitable organizations use the name. Health care includes the work done by non- healthcare employed people. They

donate food to a local food bank
deliver meals to homebound persons
coach sports teams
donate clothes, blankets and toiletries to a homeless shelter
take an animal to visit residents of a nursing home
help with clean up after a natural disaster

The answer to both questions is

“The one who showed mercy.”

More information about the work of Samaritan’s Purse

I like books and reading. As a child I visited my local library weekly, and I still do.

(several affiliate links are in this post. )

I’ve reviewed these books on this blog.

A Natural Woman, a memoir by singer/songwriter Carole King

Working Stiff, a memoir by medical examiner Dr. Judy Melinek

Will reading about health make you healthier?

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health

by T. Colin Campbell, 2006

Referred to as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing and reversing these ailments as well as curbing obesity, this text calls into question the practices of many of the current dietary programs, such as the Atkins diet, that are widely popular in the West.