In the Gospel story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we hear of Jesus’s definition of loving our neighbor. Samaritans were the religious enemies of the Jewish people and it was considered sinful to be with a Samaritan by the Jews. And yet, Our Lord uses the mercy of a Samaritan for a beaten and robbed Jew to demonstrate how we are to love our neighbor! For the audience of Jesus’s time, such a suggestion would have been scandalous. For us, it must instruct us to have mercy for all – even those who have hurt us or despise us. God’s mercy and love has no boundaries. Our love must also be for all.