Monstro the Goldfish

<p>Lacey Scott was at her local pet store when a sad fish at the bottom of the tank caught her eye. His scales had turned black and lesions had formed on his body. Lacey rescued the ten-year-old fish, named him &ldquo;Monstro&rdquo; after the whale in the fairytale <em>Pinocchio</em>, and placed him in a &ldquo;hospital&rdquo; tank, changing his water daily. Slowly, Monstro improved, began to swim, and grew in size. His black scales transformed to gold. Through Lacey&rsquo;s committed care, Monstro was made new!</p> <p>In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a traveler who was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Both a priest and a Levite passed by, ignoring the man&rsquo;s suffering. But a Samaritan&mdash;a member of a despised people group&mdash;took care of him, even paying for his needs (Luke 10:33&ndash;35). Pronouncing the Samaritan as the true &ldquo;neighbor&rdquo; in the story, Jesus encouraged His listeners to do the same.</p> <p>What Lacey did for a dying goldfish, we can do for people in need around us. Homeless, unemployed, disabled, and lonely &ldquo;neighbors&rdquo; lie in our path. Let us allow their sadness to catch our eyes and draw us to respond with neighborly care. A kind greeting. A shared meal. A few dollars slipped from palm to palm. How might God use us to offer His love to others, a love which can make all things new?</p>