It’s a familiar story. A beaten man writhes alongside a well-traveled road. Robbed. Naked. Unclean.

The first two passersby choose religious piousness over service. Their law demands purity.

The third, however, is different. He stops. He helps. He commits.

But this man is a Samaritan. Hated. Reviled. Unclean.

Who is the neighbor? How do we read this story?

Our instinct, as 21st Century Americans, is to choose one of the passersby with which to identify. Of course, we all want to be like the third man, the marginalized Samaritan, the one who stops and helps.

As Dr. Mark Powell challenges us in the video above, what if we identified instead with the man on the road? The beaten, robbed, naked victim of a violent, unfeeling culture that steals not only materially, but spiritually?

The first people to hear the narratives of the Bible were likely more likely to have identified with this man than the other three. Because the Bible was written primarily by, to, and for the oppressed.

So how does our privileged 21st Century American culture  read these stories? And what might we be missing? Do we identify more with the heroes of the biblical narratives, or the victims? What are the implications?

This Sunday, we’ll explore some Bible stories that challenge us to view the world, the gospel, and God through the lens of the oppressed. Along the way, we’ll also examine the implications related to viewing these stories through the eyes of the oppressors.

Don’t miss this fascinating discussion! Join us this Sunday, Dec. 6, in the 167 Side Room of the Marietta Brewing Company and join us for this week’s dialogue.

Happy Half-Hour: 6:30pm

Conversation Begins: 7:00pm