The Story of Good Sam and Samantha
by Peggy Harris W.A.S.H. Board Chair

During a special meeting, a conference president asked.  "What can I do to prepare and hasten the return of Jesus?"  He was directed to Scripture and was asked, "What does it say to you?"  He replied, "I must love God totally with everything I am and have and also love my neighbor as I love myself."   He was told, "You have stated it correctly, do this and soon Jesus will return with the gift of eternal life."

But the conference president was still perplexed and asked another question,   "Who is my neighbor?"  It so disturbed him that as he fell asleep on the misty night, he was still asking that question and dreamed this dream. 

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Jack and Jill laughingly carried their lunch boxes as they skipped off to school.  When they arrived, they went to their classrooms and settled down for the day's studies.

During recess Jack's teacher asked him to stay in the classroom to redo a math paper.   "I'll give you some extra help with these problems."  The teacher commanded respect from the students as well as the parents, so Jack agreed.  During the help session the teacher started to do some unwelcome touching to Jack.  While Jack had been taught to respect and obey his elders, he was puzzled and uncomfortable.   The teacher told the child that because Jack was special, this would be their little secret.  Tears and numbness filled little Jack as he hung his head in shame.

Meantime Jill had gone to her appointment with her pastor.  She was studying in preparation for baptism and eagerly showed her homework to the pastor. The pastor closed the door to his office and proceeded to talk to Jill in a way that she had never heard anyone talk before.  She felt awe that the pastor would take time to talk so personally with her, but unsure that it was all proper.  He reassured her that others appreciated his attentions and that because he was a godly man it was OK.  She was anxious and fear filled her heart at what the pastor was doing to her.  She begged him to let her go and cried out for God to help her but no one came.  Afterwards the pastor made her kneel and prayed with her, forcing her to ask God for forgiveness.

That day was just the beginning of repeated acts of sexual violence they both experienced.   Poor Jack and Jill were each shattered by these experiences.  Their abusers had told them no one would believe them if they told.  Gradually they became numb, silent, and spiritually dead.

One day the conference president came to their community and while visiting, he noticed these two children and sensed that all was not quite right with them.  But after asking some questions of the teacher and pastor and being assured by them that these were just a strange pair of youngsters that no one took too seriously, he went on his way.

The conference evangelist came and visited all prospective church members in the area.   When he visited Jack and Jill they refused to talk about religion and didn't seem to want to have anything to do with the church.  The evangelist couldn't understand the bitterness of these young people because they had come from good homes, gone to church school, and had been educated in the doctrines of the church.  He felt it better to try working with others who were more receptive to the message that he had.

People in the village from time to time heard strange rumors, especially when several families moved away.  It was said that there was some kind of abuse going on.   However, everyone was more concerned about getting new members to replace the lost ones.  They commented that nothing had ever been proven so there probably was nothing to the reports.  Besides, they contented themselves with this thought, that "godly" people would never stoop to the shocking scandals that had been mentioned.  Some said that it wasn't so terrible anyway.  No one had been convicted.  Then with so much going on in the news about other places, it surely couldn't happen in this "safe" community.

Some even had the idea that this was just part of life.  If anyone started asking questions about any of the rumors, they were told emphatically that they'd better think twice before stirring up dirt.  It wasn't "Godly" to put the dirty linen out in public, and that it was best not to question what might or might not be true.

One day, Sam and Samantha stopped at the village to replenish their supplies.  They had heard that this was a rather hostile place to be in for very long so proceeded to go about their business quickly.  They spied Jack and Jill in the shadows of the church graveyard and noticed the desperate, unhappy look on their young faces.  What could have caused these children, who were so young, to act and speak so bitterly of life?   They could see that there were disturbing hidden emotional wounds in these fragile children.  They saw the bleakness and hopelessness in Jack and Jill's eyes.

Despite the counsel of others in the village they reported what they had learned of the children to the proper authorities.  Because Sam and Samantha had been themselves discriminated and abused while growing up, they had sensed and followed their instincts as they observed and talked with the children.  They opened a hospital in the village to care for not only Jack and Jill but also all the other children who had been abused by the teacher and the pastor. 

Healing came to the victims of abuse.  The community became belatedly aware of the vastness of the abuse problem in their village.  The leaders did follow the counsel pointed out in Scripture and their prophet's writings dealing with criminal sin.   They apologized for their neglect of the children.  This led the other people to acknowledge their participation in this dreadful sin by not doing anything about it and covering it up for so many years.  They also asked the victims and God for forgiveness.  This village became a haven rather than the hell its residents had known before.

The teacher and pastor did not just go on their way to spread evil elsewhere but submitted to counselling, admitted publicly their terrible sin and asked forgiveness of their victims and the other village residents.  They were never allowed to be with any child again and the whole community was told about their past.  They had to take up different occupations.

Because of the kindness of Sam and Samantha, this village became known as a place of healing and restoration.  Many came to see what had been done and carried away help for their own communities.

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The conference president awoke from this strange dream seeming to hear the words echoing.   "Go and share kindness and healing as Sam and Samantha did.  You don't have to be victim to help others with kindness, thoughtfulness, and understanding."

REFERENCE:  Luke 10:25-37

This page last updated on Sunday January 29, 2006 11:14 AM

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