The Kitchen Sink
An occasional piece of paper
July 11, 2010
Vol. 13 no. 27
I knew some children, who when asked what they wanted to eat, replied that they wanted something “good.” That was the family code term for something sweet. Good food did not necessarily mean nutritious, just good tasting. There was always a little twinkle in the eye and laughter in the voice when said, “Oh, you want something ‘good’!?”
Can we say anything better about something or even more someone, than that it/he/she is good? Perhaps there are words to increase the honour, but good is enough. Good, however, is one of the elusive words that is never defined precisely enough to know what it really is, so that we have to keep defining what is ‘good’ for innumerable situations. Can someone be, for instance, a good murderer? Of course.
A young ruler came up to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus began by saying, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” This means that all goodness derives from God. You and I cannot produce goodness by our own virtue, only reflect and imitate inadequately the original goodness of God.
Nowhere in the Jesus’ most famous parable is the Samaritan who helped the man robbed and beaten called “good.” That’s our word. On the other hand, is he the “Good” Samaritan because all the other Samaritans were bad? After hearing the parable, the lawyer didn’t want to admit this fellow was good, since Samaritans were basically scoundrels, only that he was compassionate.
Yet, being compassionate to one suffering is more god-like than being just plain old good. Compassion heals and redeems another human being, while one can be good all by oneself - not always good enough.
Robert Kitchen
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan