Marilyn McFarlane

Sacred Myths: Stories of World Religions tells 35 stories from seven different religious paths.
A Guide for Parents and Teachers offers assistance to classroom and home teachers for each of the stories in Sacred Myths.
(For information on purchasing the Guide, click on "My Works" on my Home Page.)
All material in the Guide was examined for accuracy and practical use by educators in each religion.
The Introduction to the Guide provides a 4-step classroom format, with detailed suggestions for each step. This is followed by chapters on the different religions, each with its version of The Golden Rule and a more detailed description than in Sacred Myths.
Then the Guide has commentary on each story, along with discussion ideas.
The back pages of the Guide explain how the illustrations were made and the meaning of the symbols used. There is also a list of suggested further readings.
This excerpt is taken from the chapter on Christianity:
The Good Samaritan
(The Bible; Luke 10:29-37)
Here is a clear example of a major part of Jesus' message: be kind to everyone. It is easy to be good to people you love, to your friends and others like you. When they look and sound different, or when they are enemies, as the Jews and Samaritans were, it is much harder. But Jesus said that his followers should help anyone who is in need, whether friend, enemy, or stranger.
The story does not say that the Jew and Samaritan ever became acquainted; the point is to show compassion to all.
The story also illustrates the difference between "doing things right" and "doing the right thing." Perhaps the motive of the priest and the Levite who did not stop was that they did not wish to risk violating the law of the priesthood by defiling themselves, touching a body that might be dead. Or maybe they didn't want to be late for their time of service in the temple in Jerusalem.
Yet their concern for following the usual rules meant that they did not do the right thing, which would be setting aside their own plans to help someone whose needs were much greater.
Discussion:
~ Who is different from you? Who is the person in your life that people shun? Would you help this person?
He or she probably isn't lying on a dusty road, nearly dead, but might be someone new in the neighborhood, someone being treated unfairly, or a person mentally or physically disabled or without friends. Would you help?
~ Have you ever seen a sign or sticker on a car saying "Good Samaritan Club?" This means the people in the car have said they will stop and help someone in trouble, just as the Samaritan did in this story.
Illustrations: On the left is a design from a wall painting, showing ancient vessels for healing oils. On the right we see another wall painting with a donkey. Superimposed is "The Merciful Samaritan," by Carl Julius Milde, a richly colored painting of the Samaritan stanching the injured man's wound.
On the far right, Jesus stands as a reminder of his message of kindness and generosity. The writing at the top of the page is a part of the wall background.