DIG DEEPER

ACTIVITY: MERCY IN MOTION

Who are the people that society often teaches us to ignore, avoid, or see as “other”? How does the parable of the Good Samaritan challenge those attitudes?

As a group, identify a population in your community that is frequently overlooked, underserved, or forgotten. Then create a short-term ministry project that reflects the practical mercy demonstrated by the Good Samaritan.

Your project might involve singing at a hospital or nursing home, serving meals to those experiencing homelessness, helping a local school with a fundraiser, hosting a brunch for elderly community members, organizing a day of support and rest for single parents, assisting with home repairs or yard work, or any number of other acts of service.

The goal is not simply to talk about mercy, but to practice it. The Samaritan’s compassion was tangible, costly, and personal. In the same way, design an opportunity that allows your group to move beyond discussion and actively demonstrate compassion to others.

If mercy is one of the defining characteristics of being a good neighbor, what would it look like for your group to put that mercy into action?