The sacrament of the Good Samaritan

Jason Davies-Kildea asks: an identity crisis?

I

t seems that The Salvation Army is currently experiencing a serious identity crisis.  We are no longer sure of who we are and what we should be doing in the world.  Some of the symptoms of this crisis are evident in tensions about worship styles and uniform, but the most significant divide appears to be between our evangelical and social work.  How can we re-unite the dual mission of The Salvation Army?  Any way forward needs to be faithful to our history, without simply idealising the past.  It also needs to be biblically sound and relevant to our contemporary context.  Perhaps it’s time to reclaim the sacrament of the Good Samaritan?

What is a sacrament?
There are many discrepancies of opinion about the number and type of sacraments which are regarded as authentic in different parts of the church.  Before we go on to pursue an understanding of Salvationist sacramentalism, it is worth taking some time to explore some of the common thoughts about what a sacrament represents.

A sacrament is generally thought of as something visible, tangible and definable.  Its existence can be verified or measured in some way.  What the sacrament represents tends to be a little more elusive - though it is the purpose for the sacrament’s very existence.  The visible and externally verifiable presence of the sacrament creates an important link to something invisible and therefore otherwise difficult to quantify.  The sacrament points to a greater reality than itself and also helps us to participate in that reality in some way.  It connects us to God’s presence in this world.  The reality of God is not something otherworldly which invalidates or denigrates our experience in the present.  It is not simply that through the sacramental experience we begin to touch a spiritual world which is better or more holy than our earthly realm.  Rather, the sacrament calls us to recognise the reality of God in the world around us and in ourselves.  The sacrament is not an end in itself, but rather the purpose of the sacrament is tied explicitly to its effect in a person’s life.  The sacrament calls us to be changed by entering into God, and through God into life, in a new way.

Sacraments in The Salvation Army
Whilst there are differences in sacramental practice throughout the many parts of the Christian Church, The Salvation Army maintains a distinctly minority position (with the Quakers) by not practicing the common sacraments of baptism and Eucharist.

Although in the earliest days of the Christian Mission the sacraments continued to be practiced in the tradition of the Methodist church, a number of factors contributed to William Booth’s decision to cease the traditional practices.  Primarily, Booth’s position was that no external ritual could promise salvation and he was wary of potential misunderstandings in this area.  The decision was essentially to place the priority for the Salvationist on the inward experience of God’s grace, rather than on the outward ritual which symbolised it.

The Army’s stance on the equality of women may have further complicated continuing observance of the Eucharist because there were some who would have refused to accept the sacrament from a female officer.  Finally, the fact that many of The Salvation Army’s original converts were converted alcoholics gave real hesitation to any ceremony involving wine - even when grape juice was substituted, this raised concerns.

However, whilst this wariness of ritual Christianity existed, the power of symbols was not lost to the Army and there came to be a growing recognition of the potential sacramentality in the whole of life.  So at different times, the mercy seat and even the uniform has been seen as sacramental.

One sacramental image from the early Army continues to connect deeply with our current situation and has the potential to help bridge the growing gap between our evangelical and social missions.  This sacrament is experienced as we encounter God’s presence in the world through mission with the poor.  Like other sacraments, ours is based in the example of Jesus.  It mirrors the actions of Jesus as represented in the Gospels, calling us to be part of an active presence of God’s Kingdom in the world right now.

The sacrament of the Good Samaritan
Despite having discarded the traditional sacraments of the church, William Booth talked about “a sacrament in which God’s people could - and should - actively share”, a sacrament he called ‘the sacrament of the Good Samaritan’.

The early history of The Salvation Army is replete with examples of our evangelical and social missions being held together far more consistently than they are today.  Salvationists were encouraged not just to be God’s witnesses in the midst of the poor, but to recognise God’s presence in the downtrodden and miserable and respond to them accordingly.  It was this incarnational understanding that originally held together the Army’s dual mission, recognised by the motto ‘heart to God and hand to man’ (sic).

The Salvation Army has a proud tradition of working with the most disadvantaged people in our society.  Whilst this in part reflects a desire to imitate Christ’s association with the poor and the marginalised, it also reflects a practical and theological presupposition about those whom we serve.  When we help a person in need, we value human dignity in a way which surpasses philanthropic concern.  In the midst of the helping encounter there is an engagement between God and humanity which reflects the very core of our created being.  It is through this particular type of service that the Salvationist discovers the image of God in the person in need and by compassionate response to that person, they enter the sacrament of the Good Samaritan.

The example of the Good Samaritan suggests that firstly our definition of neighbour should be unconditional or unbounded and secondly that the appropriate response to the suffering of our neighbour begins with compassion above all else.  This idea is not only enhanced by an understanding of God’s presence in the one who is suffering but also takes on a salvific importance.  Liberation theologian, Leonardo Boff expresses this link well when he says that “Salvation comes by way of our neighbour.  The purpose of religion is not to substitute for our neighbour, but to establish in us a permanent orientation to genuine love of the other - in whom, incognito, God is hidden.” .

The idea of God being hidden in the poor and needy is a familiar one scattered throughout the scriptures.  Perhaps the best known example is that of the judgement scene in Matthew 25 where the parable of the sheep and the goats illustrates a divine reward or punishment based on how well we treat those in need, in whom Christ is always present.

It may be said that not only is God present in the encounter between the compassionate helper and a person in need, not only that God can be seen in the person reaching out to the poor, but that God is in that person.  God continues to become incarnate in those who follow in Jesus’ footsteps and share their lives with the poor and the marginalised.

The recognition of God’s presence in those who minister to the poor and the marginalised complements the understanding of Christ’s presence in those being ministered to represented by the Good Samaritan.  God is in both the helper and the helped.  It is with this more complete representation that we can begin to comprehend the reality of God for the suffering, the oppressed and the marginalised and how God might be encountered as a sacramental presence in the midst of this life.

If God is indeed the protector and ally of the poor, then to join with the poor is to join with God.  Passages such as Jeremiah 22:16, “He judged the cause of the poor and the needy; Is not this to know me? Says the Lord”, seem to suggest that the one who stands with the poor is the one who truly knows God.

The parable of the Good Samaritan makes clear that there should be no boundaries to a truly compassionate response.  This is a useful counterpoint to those who would interpret Christ’s admonitions to help those in need as only applying to helping Christians.  So, the first condition to the performance of the sacrament that the Samaritan paradigm demonstrates is that there are no conditions, that there should be no barriers to the way we respond to a person in need.  It is worthwhile recalling at this point that the international mission statement of The Salvation Army includes the charge to “help those in need without discrimination”.

Another interesting facet of the Good Samaritan story is that it gives us a model of helper who does not necessarily fit the religious views of the hearers.  This also lays a firm challenge to the idea that God only works through Christians.  If God is indeed revealed in those who respond to suffering and need, as the scriptures suggest, then God can be revealed in anyone’s response regardless of their outward profession of faith.  The sacrament of the Good Samaritan allows us to recognise that when those in need meet compassionate response in the name of The Salvation Army, that this response is also representative of the saviour of that Army.

The sacrament of the Good Samaritan is a rich, theological and spiritual concept calling us to indiscriminate, generous love of the broken stranger.  It reminds us that God can be found, in fact must be found, in the laneways and the gutters as well as in the church.  It connects the history of Salvation Army social mission with our current social services through a vital spirituality.

 Writer:  Captain Jason Davies-Kildea is currently serving with his wife, Michelle, at the Brunswick Corps and Community Programmes in Australia. He received a Churchill Fellowship in 2006 and travelled last year to the US, UK and Kenya to look at “models of holistic service, for highly disadvantaged people, which have been established in faith-based communities”. He recently graduated with a Masters in Theology and writes regularly on his own blog, which you can find here.

9 Comments to The sacrament of the Good Samaritan

1. Whilst agreeing with the main thrust of this, why is using the sacrament of the Good Samaritan different from the sacrament of Eucharist? If the danger of people associating salvation with Eucharist is real, surely so much more real is the danger of associating good works with salvation!

   I also have a real problem understanding why the Salvation Army don’t celebrate Eucharist despite Jesus’ direct statement, “Do this [...] in remembrance of me.”

   I have attended a SA Corps in the UK for nearly three years now and am still no nearer understanding this!
RobGT on September 25th, 2008

2. Very good stuff. There is also an obvious connection with Mother Teresa’s explanation of the “sacramental poor”.

   Grace,

   Aaron
aaron on September 25th, 2008

3. Awesome article Jason! I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for the reminder that it isn’t always whom we expect that is representing Christ.
Juan on September 25th, 2008

4. What exactly was Jesus asking his followers to do as remembrance of him? The New Testament word Anamnesis is used in the sense that we recall, recollect an incident or a person with the action of remembrance the ability to recall past occurrences. Jesus words in Luke come at the end of a meal where Jesus undertook a number of actions that had a profound affect upon his disciples.

   For example he washed the disciples feet prior to the meal. In a sense as a Methodist Minister of word and sacrament, the true remembrance is not only the breaking of the bread but the sharing of it with others. I like the notion of the sacrament of the Good Samaritan as it expression extends the meaning of this recollection into a living act of re-membering.

   I am ever grateful the General Orsborn for, what I still feel is one of the greatest sacramental hymns.

   My Life must be Christ’s Broken Bread
   My love his outpoured wine.
   A cup o’er filled, a table spread
   Beneath his name and sign.
   That other souls refreshed and fed
   May share his life through mine.

   Now that is truly a sacramental memorial.
   We do well to think again what was the original intention of the Lord’s Supper as instituted by Jesus himself. John Howard Yoder’s interpretation in “Body Politics” indicates that this breaking of bread was a common meal of fellowship where all were welcome and fed. Jesus flew in the face of exclusive “table practices” of the day, by welcoming sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors and even his own betrayer to his dining table. In those days, the people you shared your table also indicated those you positively wished to be in associate with. Not only was Jesus’ practice radical in terms of the company he kept, but radical because he made this one of the primary practices of the church symbolising he would be remembered “whenever you do this.”
Paul Collings on September 26th, 2008

5. I’m not sure you’ve answered the question “How can we re-unite the dual mission of The Salvation Army?” in this piece.

   But the reflections on the Good Samaritan were outstanding - thank you. It’s happening where we are, praise God.
Matt Clifton on September 26th, 2008

6. Rob, suggest you order this:

   http://www.thesacramentsandthebible.org.uk
Matt Clifton on September 26th, 2008

7. Thanks for the comments so far. The issue of sacramentalism in The Salvation Army has a rather chequered history. At various times, the mercy seat and even uniform have been seen as sacramental. So I’m not sure we’ve ever been able to completely remove a sacramental tendency from our movement - human beings naturally find too much meaning in symbols for this to be possible. Though William and Catherine Booth’s early warnings about placing too much emphasis on the symbol remain sound reminders.

   The essential idea was that the sacrament of the Good Samaritan represents a theological bridge between the practice of social services and the spiritual motivation of The Salvation Army. It’s not a single fix to ‘re-unite the dual mission’ (there’s still much to be done here) but hopefully it’s a useful contribution to the process.

   Regards, JDK
Jason Davies-Kildea on September 26th, 2008

8. Good article, Jason.

   My contention with the Army’s position toward the sacraments is that many appear not “non-sacramental”, but anti-sacramental. Why not give space for those who would like to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in that way? Would it really harm anyone?

   I was in a situation in a corps where the commanding officer had prepared a “remembrance” of this type after the meeting. He made it clear that participation was entirely optional, and was careful not to use {the term that dare not be spoken}. Unfortunately, an officer from headquarters was in attendance at the meeting and quietly slipped out halfway through the sermon to take down the table and all that had been prepared.

   I don’t want to get into another discussion about the sacraments. I just wish people would stop being so afraid of celebrating what can still be a meaningful remembrance ceremony if used properly.

   Consider an argument similar to the one Paul uses in Romans 7. There he says that, just because the law “caused” me to sin, that doesn’t make the law bad.

   In the same way, the abuse/misuse of a sacrament doesn’t make that sacrament bad in itself.
Phil on September 27th, 2008

9. This is a great article Jason. I had never heard of Booth’s ’sacrament of the Good Samaritan’. I like it a lot.

   However, to respond to the comments and questions about the so-called ‘dual mission’ of the Army, I would suggest that until we stop talking bout it as 2 missions, or a dual mission, nothing will change. I believe very strongly that our calling to journey alongside the poor (and be and see Jesus as you so well articulated), as well as our calling to share the good news of Christ (evangelize) are one in the same conversation. To talk of these things as two separate conversations or ‘agendas’ is the very beginning and heart of the problem right from the start.

   One last comment, Phil, while I’ve made it clear in the past that I think the Army has really dropped the ball on the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s supper and in another forum would argue this point, I really loved what you had to say here. Well put.
   Dion
Dion Oxford on September 27th, 2008

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