The Spiritual Life in the Twenty-first Century: Solidarity with the Victims of Violence

In order to give a religious answer to the question, ʻWhat is religious life?ʼ in the twenty-first century I propose to give a meditation on the famous story of the Good Samaritan. Clearly this story concerns itself solidarity with a victim, and so it presents itself as very germane to the position I wish to explore. At the same time it has some surprising twists that can help us to understand the implications of trying to live a religious life based upon the relationship with a victim.