NOTE: This is a fictional retelling of a Bible story. See the footnote at the bottom of the narrative for
the scripture passage that inspired this modern version of the biblical account.
Hats a Plenty was located on the southwest
corner of level two of the Twelve Oaks Mall in Oaksdale, Ohio. The store
carried hats for both men and women for dress, leisure, and sports. The
manager, Phil LeMans was a Christian, who always did his best to treat his
employees the way Jesus would.
One morning as Phil was watching the security
videos from the night before; he was shocked to discover his assistant manager,
Ollie Semus, putting several very expensive baseball caps under his jacket, and
exiting with them as he left for the evening.
What Phil did not know was that as soon as
Ollie exited the mall at closing Saturday evening (6pm), he was accosted by
several thugs, who cased Hats a Plenty, and wanted whatever store deposits,
product, or personal credit cards and money Ollie had.
As Ollie lay in the nearby grass battered,
bleeding, and unconscious three people drove by. Two of them were there for a
church planning meeting at His wife’s church. Aggie was Ollie’s childhood
sweetheart and wife. Even though Ollie was not sure he entirely believed
everything her church taught. If it made her happy he and his four teenagers
would attend.
The first person to drive by Ollie was
Deaconess Bernice Adkins. As this area of town was not safe for a woman to be
alone in she had no intention of stopping unless she knew for sure it was
Ollie, which she did not. When she got to church, she’d immediately call 911
for help. Soon the schedule of the impending church planning meeting knocked
all thoughts of concern for Ollie right out of her head.
The next to drive by
without stopping to aid him was the music director, Jonas Sturgill, from the
Johnson United Worship Center in Ladeesville, OH, who would be out on Sunday
morning on a personal day (to fish). He remembered at the last minute there was
some sheet music he had that his substitute worship director, Denny, would
need.
The last person to drive by, and actually
pull their car into the Twelve Oaks Mall lot to help was the senior pastor, the
good and honorable Rev. Sam Martin. His Saturday had been spent in last-minute
sermon preparations at church, visiting the church’s elderly and sick, and
buying both church and office supplies for the week to come at Good Deed’s
Community Chapel (GDCC).
It was a cold November evening when all this
happened. Ollie’s trademark leather jacket and gold wrist watch were both
missing from the robbery. Sam and Ollie
were soon off to the nearest emergency room in Emerald City.
Rev. Sam quickly called Aggie on his cell
phone, told her he assumed a robbery had occurred, and that the two of them
were headed for the closest medical help possible. Aggie thanked her, and
assured Rev. Sam she was on her way.
When Rev. Sam arrived at the hospital, Ollie
was immediately taken away on a stretcher.
Rev. Sam had remembered to retrieve Ollie’s wallet (which had not been
stolen) from Ollie’s jacket as he headed for the emergency room (ER) admissions.
Rev. Sam quickly explained who she was, and
handed over Ollie’s health insurance card from his wallet to the nice young
lady (Wanda) behind the computer. Rev. Sam quickly told her whatever
information was not in the wallet would have to be obtained from Ollie’s wife
when she arrived soon.
Rev. Sam got out the church checkbook, and
wrote down a considerable amount on the check, signed it, and handed it to the
ER admissions lady. Lately, the Ollie Semus family was hurting financially.
Their church wanted to help. Rev. Sam was assured the billing department would
credit the money towards the bill. Aggie soon showed up, and filled in the
missing spaces for ER admission that Ollie’s wallet could not.
With work, her family, and Ollie in the
hospital, Aggie’s week passed quickly without remembering to call Ollie’s
boss. For Rev. Sam, the church week
seemed to be gone in what felt like days. Rev. Sam was sure no one had
remembered to call Ollie’s boss to let him know what was going on. By now, Phil
LeMans had to think his assistant manager had skipped town.
Rev. Sam dialed Hats a Plenty, identified
herself, and told Phil of the situation with Ollie. Ollie was recovering
comfortably at home with his family. Rev. Sam told Phil, that because of this
situation, Ollie had recently become a believer in Jesus. Ollie had explained
to Rev. Sam what he had done at Hats a Plenty on the night of his mugging. Phil
was assured GDCC wanted to pay Ollie’s debt at the store. Rev. Sam asked Phil
not to hold this situation against Ollie. He wanted Phil to forgive and forget
it all.
“Psychologists
tested the story of the Good Samaritan. What they learned gives us reason to
pause. The greatest determinant of who stopped to help the stranger in need was
not compassion, morality, or religious creed. It was those who had the time. [It]
makes me wonder if I have time to do good.” (Richard Paul Evans) [i]
[i] Adapted from: All for One: The Towns of Ohio Completer
Trilogy by Robert Kinker, Book Two: Chapter Fifteen ”Forgive and
Forget,” Philemon 1:8=-10, Luke
10:30=-37
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