I am a resident of Greenfield, with a house downtown which has been my family’s home for 15 years and counting. I am also a pastor, ordained in the United Church of Christ, and called to serve the First Church of Deerfield. I would like to voice my support for the Safe City ordinance, and to share a few words about why I support it.
I speak necessarily from the perspective of my faith, but in doing so I do not assume that others share my own faith — or that others of the same faith share my own perspective. But I ask you to bear with me, as I hope that in what follows we may find some common ground.
There is a story in my faith tradition — indeed, it is one of the best-known stories of my faith tradition — about a man who was traveling down a road when he was attacked by robbers, beaten, and left for dead by the side of the road. Two other travelers come upon him there, the first a member of the local clergy, the second a respected community leader. For whatever reason, neither stops to help. They pass by, leaving the victim on side of the road.
The third person to come along is a foreigner, a stranger from across the border. For whatever reason, he stops to help the injured man. He tends the man’s wounds, and makes sure that he is brought to a place of safety.
As I see it, the Safe City ordinance implicitly recognizes the existence and value of such “Good Samaritans,” by ensuring that anyone in our town, native or foreign born, can come to the aid of a neighbor, without fear; that anyone in our town, documented or undocumented, can report a crime, call for emergency assistance, or otherwise come to another person’s rescue, without hesitation.
At the same time, the Safe City ordinance ensures that anyone who is in danger themselves can reach out for help. You may have noticed that in the parable of the Good Samaritan, very little information is provided about the victim. We never learn his status, his ethnicity, or his nationality. Maybe because when someone has been attacked and beaten, none of that should matter.
Jesus was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” and he responded with this story — a story in which neighborhood was based on common humanity, not national origin. I believe that the Safe City ordinance will strengthen our community’s capacity for such true neighborhood in times of need.
The Rev. Liza B. Knapp is the pastor of the First Church of Deerfield.