Being a Good Samaritan is the greatest spirituality

Our notion of spirituality involves in going to church everyday, visiting the pilgrim centers, chanting the prayers, making our personal prayers, giving zakat to church but the greatest spirituality is nothing but being a Good Samaritan.

For us what spirituality is, observing the rules and regulation that the religion teaches us. Being the mere observers of the law we would not be men of spirituality. Instead, being a basic human who can empathize with the suffering and needy brethren imbued with love of God is the greatest spirituality.

The gospel according to St. Luke 10: 25 - 37 narrates a parable of the Good Samaritan; a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he was attacked by robbers and he was left half dead. It so happened that a priest was going by that but when he saw the man he walked on by, on the other side. A Levite came along, went over and looked at the man, and then he walked on by, on the other side. But when a Samaritan  saw the man he was moved with pity and he did what was needed.

At the end of the day, being spiritual is for our own salvation because religion teaches us that there is life after death, so we think that fulfilling our religious duties we can make sure a berth for us in heaven. In the quest for making a guaranteed berth in heaven, we conveniently neglect our brethren who are badly in need of our help. Perhaps our simple gesture can mean a lot for them and would be of a great help. 

On our way to church if we find a man on the road side seriously injured and if that man pleads for any help, perhaps we would be telling him that I am on my way to church and I will keep you in my prayers so that you shall get well soon. So what is spirituality for us, going to church or helping that person in his needs? Will our prayers be heard if we proceed to church without helping that man?      

I know an elderly lady who goes to church everyday without any fail irrespective of the climate changes. Everyday she receives Holy Communion but on her way to church as well as way back from church she keeps telling her church-going-friends all the possible complaints and bad things about her husband and children. So her going to church everyday is an act of spirituality? It has been just a routine for her to go to church and there is no spirituality involved.     

Many a time our acts of spirituality are for our own salvation not to be beneficial for others thus being selfish we contradict the whole point of spirituality. Many a time our spiritual activities are just a show off. Being the basic human who can emphasize is the greatest spirituality and this is the kind of spirituality that is expected of us by God. 

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