The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger about Loving Our Neighbors by Dr. Emily Smith. Zondervan, 2023. 288 pages. $19.99 trade paperback.
This is an excellent book that explores what it mean to love your neighbor in today's divided world. Written by Dr. Emily Smith, global health epidemiologist and host of the popular Facebook page Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist, examines what loving your neighbor - as illustrated in the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan - really means in actual day-to-day practice. According to Smith, “truly being a neighbor goes way beyond simply donating food or money... it’s also [about] changing our hearts and posture to match those deeds.”
Smith's perspective in this book is as a scientist and a Christian. She uses examples from her own life: growing up in a small Texas town to studying at a prestigious university. The book also includes interesting stories from the lives of other inspiring people in multiple cultures to show the reader how to:
- Find shared values with people from different backgrounds, faiths, and cultures than our own
- Reach outside our immediate circles to bring in those on the margins
- Redefine our concept of "neighbor" and love our neighbors in more practical and global ways
- Bridge the gaps of society's disparities and inequities.
