As a church school we are inspired by the life and work of JESUS.
Our inspiration comes from Luke 10v27.
Within this passage, from Luke, Jesus challenges an expert in the law who was testing Him.
When teaching others, Jesus often spoke in parables. He used these short stories to explain a concept or challenge religious thinking. Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan in response to a question about "Who is my neighbour then?"
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a brilliant example of choosing to serve and love others, whatever the sacrifice or cost.
At Broad Chalke, we use this parable to help us understand and live out our values.
The Good Samaritan showed respect for all living things and, with nurture, was able to help the injured man. The parable makes it clear we are all valuable and we should treat one another with care and RESPECT.
The Samaritan wasn't hindered by the differences in belief, culture or background between him and the injured man: he simply had a heart to make a difference and respected the man as a part of God's creation. The Good Samaritan was willing to cross political, racial, cultural and social barriers and risk prejudices and the fear of the unknown because he saw someone with need and he had the resources to meet the need.
When things are a challenge, we can be resilient and offer love and support to others. The Samaritan refused to give up despite the challenges he faced. His driving force was to do the right thing. He also didn't just patch up the man, he put him on a donkey, took him to an inn and was willing to pay two days' wages to support his recovery. He also promised to pay further expenses when he came back.
Despite the challenges, the Samaritan showed resilience and was determined to show love and support. .
The Good Samaritan is a parable of HOPE. The context of the Bible chapter starts with a person asking Jesus how to achieve eternal life.
The hope for the injured man faded away as the religious people let him down. The Good Samaritan provided hope for the injured man by helping him and providing wages for him. We all need hope in order to look ahead and keep going.
The Good Samaritan was moved in his soul by the need in front of him. When he saw the stranger he didn't look away. He was compelled by compassion and love. The Samaritan was aware of the dangers and inconvenience but wanted to put the injured man first- he was selfless and showed compassion and love.
As a church of England School our Christian vision and core values: Respect, Resilience, Hope and Love help to shape our warm, friendly and inclusive ethos.