Public spending priorities: Government not a Good Samaritan

Theologians have argued for centuries about the meaning of the Good Samaritan parable, Luke 10:25-29, but most of us, of all religious persuasions and none, are in no doubt about the lesson it conveys. It tells us to help those in need, be they neighbours we know or too often, don’t know or strangers.

In real life, this is easier said than done. We cross to the other side of the street to avoid eye contact with the homeless person huddled in a shop doorway, and look the other way when a beggar asks for coins. We’ll have our own money problems, or other woes; we’ll be pressed for time, and so we pass by. In today’s world, the Samaritan of last resort for those in need and beyond the reach of neighbours and charities, must be government, both central and local. Is ours a Good Samaritan?