06.06 Personal service

VI. PERSONAL SERVICE The service which the Samaritan rendered was personal. He himself bound up the wounds, himself set the stranger on his own beast, himself brought him to the inn and took care of him. Charity is always incomplete unless it involves this element of personal service. In these days, we have become too much accustomed to acting the neighbour by deputy. We give money; we leave it to others to give personal service. Of course to a large extent this is a necessity of modern life; and we can keep even this second-hand charity at least in touch with true principles if we take pains to follow our money with personal interest and sympathy. But we must never be satisfied with this. No amount of subscriptions can compensate for this want of the touch of person with person; of heart reaching heart; of will encouraging and strengthening will. Each one of us ought to be able to think at once of some individual or family in the ranks of the poor, the sick, the distressed, whom by personal thought and care and act we are trying to comfort and cheer and raise. We shall never realize our fellowship with the Divine Neighbour of humanity unless our own mind and heart and will are going out in personal service to some of those who need and claim our compassion.

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