The addicted Samaritan
The parable of the good Samaritan speaks a lot to the crisis we are going through with today's drug abuse problem. If we look at Luke 10:30 we can see that Jesus begins by telling of a man traveling down a road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Now back in those times it was understood that this road was not meant to be traveled alone unless one was looking for trouble. The man had made a choice to go down this road even though it would surely be risky. Now lets stop right there for a minute. As kids we all, for the most part, are taught that drugs are bad and can lead to addiction. However, there can and will be different situational pressures that people encounter along the way that fight against this logic. Peer pressure is one, what a strong force for someone just wanting to feel some love or belonging. What about experiencing severe trauma? This could also produce a glitch in our decision making. My point is not to make excuses for people who end up in need of drug abuse treatment but rather to offer another way of approach.
Let's go back to the man on the road in the parable. Whatever his reasoning for being there, it could be a reason that is deserving of empathy. Maybe it is just a foolish reason with no cause for empathy. The man was beaten and left for dead according to Jesus' words and was in desperate need of help. So, in other words he is now facing the consequences of his choice(s). It is easy to sit back and blame the man for his choices and do nothing. The same way it is easy to blame the addict for his use and do nothing to help. Just like in the parable, we can be swayed into just passing by this problem of addiction and do nothing. This happens often as people who make a bad choice in treatment can be cast aside and left back in society untreated. Which then becomes the problem of society as a whole.
We are commanded by Jesus to show mercy, just like the Samaritan, even though we may not agree with ones choices that got them there in the first place. And consider this, didn't Jesus show us mercy when he would have been perfectly justified in leaving us to die in our sin. Instead he graciously saved us even when we did not deserve it. So let us be like the Samaritan and like Jesus and look to show mercy.
Our organization is committed to raising the success rates of programs who arrogantly toss people aside and keep walking past as if to say they deserved it. We take full responsibility for those who don't make it and are on the road of wrong choice. We have taken up the task of making sobriety more appealing by introducing a new aftercare program dedicated to help inspire one to realizing their potential to be great!
Please help us and join us in defeating this problem of ineffective treatment. Donations do not have to be monetary, we appreciate anything especially knowledge and wisdom!