Sister Mary Agnes grumbled to herself as she looked over her lesson plans for the last day of Vacation Bible School. Of course, it would never occur to Sister Evangeline that the children might be confused by the jump from Old Testament Bible stories to New Testament parables, but Mary Agnes had given up trying to figure out the sort of logic employed by the church's Director of Christian Education. All the young woman could do was put the lesson into practice.

It wasn't the lesson itself. Mary Agnes was certain that her young students would understand the story of the Good Samaritan. It was more the idea that there would be no continuity, since all of the previous lessons over the past week had come from the Hebrew Scriptures. However, she knew it didn't really matter to anyone but her. Maybe someday she'd be a Director of Christian Education, and she'd do things the right way, but until then, she'd just do what she was told, even if she disagreed with it.

As it was, the children were arriving, and she needed to get them ready for this evening's program. Waiting until they were settled down in a circle around her chair, she greeted them pleasantly. "Good morning children. Good morning, Dr. Brennan. Our agenda for today will be somewhat different. As you may know, each class is supposed to present something for this evening's program, and we're going to do a little play about a parable. Does anyone know what a parable is?"

The children all looked at each other and shrugged. Finally Fiona raised her hand. "Isn't it a kind of Bible story?"

"That's right. Jesus told stories called parables. The parable we're going to learn about today is called 'The Good Samaritan.' Children, do you remember the themes we've had this week? What are they? Annie, can you name one?"

Annie scrunched up her face as she thought about the question. "God calls us to trust Him?"

"Very good. Katie, what was another one?"

"God calls us to be brave?", Katie asked shyly.

"That's right. And He calls us to be obedient and to forgive, remember?" The children all nodded silently. "Well, today's theme is that God calls us to be kind and helpful, and we're going to demonstrate that with our skit."

"We really have to be kind and helpful at the same time?" Tommy was astonished. "That seems like it would be really hard."

The young nun nodded. "Yes, it is difficult. I think that's why sometimes we have to work really hard on those things so we can develop good habits ." She passed around cards with character names on them. "Okay, I think everyone has a part, right? Good. Just follow the instructions on your card, boys and girls. Christine, you're the narrator, so please begin."

Beaming proudly, Christine began to read. "One day there was a man who was walking down the road."

Mark pretended to walk down the road, whistling loudly. "Here I go, just a man walking down the road."

Christine continued. "Robbers came and attacked him." At this point, Tommy and Katie gleefully pretended to beat up Mark, who groaned loudly as he fell over and began thrashing around on the floor. "The robbers left the man almost dead."

Mark cried out loudly as he flailed his arms and kicked his legs. "Oh no! The robbers got me and beat me up. I'm almost dead!"

Sister Mary Agnes arched her eyebrow at Brennan. "I think Mark might just win an Oscar some day." As Mark continued to writhe around on the floor, the nun tapped him on the shoulder. "That's enough, my dear. We get the idea. Go ahead, Christine."

"The injured man was lying by the side of the road and a priest came by. The priest crossed the street to avoid the injured man and went on his way without stopping to help."

Fiona walked by the 'injured man' with her nose in the air. "Yuck. I don't want to touch him. I'll just go on my way."

At this point, Tommy interrupted. "Father Mears is a priest, and he wouldn't do that. He'd get the man some help. He'd probably call an ambulance or something."

Mary Agnes nodded. "That's true, because he's kind and helpful. Remember, not everyone is as considerate as he is, and that's why we have to explain this idea with our skit. Christine?"

"Okay." She turned to the next page of the story. "The next person who walked by was a Levite. A Levite was an important person in the Temple. He also walked by without helping the man."

"I can't help him. I'm too busy." Annie scowled as she walked by Mark. "Gross."

Christine read further. "Finally a Samaritan, who was a man that nobody liked, saw the injured man on the road and felt sorry for him. He stopped to help, taking the man to a hotel and asking for someone to call a doctor. He left money to pay for the man's bills."

Aaron walked over to Mark and patted him on the head. "Come on, buddy. Let's get you some help." He helped Mark walk over to shake Lucy's hand. "Here you go, Lucy. Here's some cash. Call a doctor, okay? Take care of him until I get back."

"Which of these people were helpful and kind? Who helped his neighbor? Contestant number 1?" Fiona did a graceful curtsy as the children booed and hissed.

"Contestant number 2?" Annie smiled and waved happily as the children expressed their disapproval once again.

"Or Contestant number 3?" The children cheered wildly as Aaron pumped his fists in the air.

"Jesus calls us to be helpful and kind to others." Christine smiled as she folded up the script and handed it to Sister Mary Agnes.

"Very good, children. I love your enthusiasm. That's exactly how we'll do our skit tonight."

"Sister, I don't get it." Mark brushed off his shorts as he got up from the floor. "How come those other people didn't help the man who was hurt?"

Sister Mary Agnes opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by her teaching assistant. "They were afraid of becoming ceremonially unclean.", Brennan said thoughtfully. "In those times, people thought that if they came in contact with someone who was bleeding, or who had died, it would make those people unfit for doing their religious duties. They weren't really trying to be unpleasant. It actually makes sense if you consider that they were actually trying to avoid the transmission of disease…"

"True, Dr. Brennan, but it may have been that the Priest and the Levite should've thought of others before considering themselves." Sister Mary Agnes pinched her lips together, wanting to avoid an argument. "I think we all face situations where we have to decide to follow the rules, or to choose to do something we know is right instead."

"If the priest and the Levite had broken rules about being ceremonially clean to help one man, it might have affected their ability to serve the rest of their congregation. Rules and protocols are usually put in place for a very good reason, Sister. For example, when I worked with the bodies of deceased individuals, I wear gloves, a lab coat, and sometimes goggles to avoid the transfer of body fluids from the cadaver to myself."

"What does deceased mean, Sister?", Aaron asked.

Lucy piped up as well. "What's a 'daver?"

Christine rolled her eyes at her classmates. "Deceased means someone's dead, Silly. A cadaver is a body left after a person dies." It was obvious that Christine was appalled by her classmates' lack of knowledge. "That's what my mommy does. She figures out how people died by looking at their dead bodies. One time, before I was born, she found a mummy and figured out who it really was, and it changed history. She and my daddy solve murders, too. They go out and find bones in weird places…"

Seeing that some of the children were becoming uncomfortable, the nun clapped her hands gently to draw their attention away from Christine. "Okay, children...back on track now. So, as Dr. Brennan has so kindly pointed out…" Mary Agnes sighed softly, hoping she didn't seem too irritated. "...the people who didn't stop may have had good reasons not to do so. You know what that tells me? That part of being helpful and kind is to give people the benefit of the doubt." Seeing that the children were confused, she explained further. "In other words, we shouldn't think badly about people's actions if we don't know what's going on in their lives. They may have problems we aren't aware of that might keep them from helping someone else. We shouldn't judge others. Instead, we should try to be kind to them. Alright?"

The children all nodded in agreement. "Yes, Sister."

Thinking that they had finished their discussion, Mary Agnes was surprised to see that Fiona had raised her hand. "Sister, how come the bad guys didn't go to jail? They hurt that man and stole his money."

"Well, I'm not sure...I suppose that wasn't the point Jesus was trying to make."

Undeterred, the child persisted. "But they broke the law. They should be arrested." Soon the other children were joining in with Fiona's complaint.

Seeing the nun's uncertainty on how to handle the question, Brennan coughed softly to get her attention. "Perhaps, Sister, we could mention at the end of the skit that the robbers were arrested. I don't think that will take away from the point of the story."

"That's a wonderful idea, Dr. Brennan. We'll do that." The young woman checked her watch. "Alright then, let's go outside and play for a few minutes before we have our snacks. I think we're going to have watermelon today."

Sister Mary Agnes and Brennan stood on the edge of the playground, watching as their students played tag and climbed on the monkey bars. After a few minutes of silence, Brennan cleared her throat.

"I apologize, Sister, if I derailed your lesson. When I was doing my undergraduate work, I took a course on the comparison of ancient religions, and my instructor, who was a Rabbi, made a point of explaining that several of the Hebrew laws dealing with whether or not something was kosher or unclean were derived from health concerns. They were trying to use science to prevent the spread of communicable disease, but they weren't sure how to do so. However, I do think some of those laws are just arbitrary, like not wearing clothing made of wool and linen mixed together…"

"Aye, that is crazy, isn't it? I certainly don't claim to understand all of those laws in Leviticus." Mary Agnes smoothed her habit as she sat down on a bench. "Tommy...stop tackling Aaron…" She smiled as she looked up at Brennan. "I'm not against science, Dr. Brennan. I know the ancient Hebrews had no idea that the Earth revolved around the sun, and they also thought the Earth was flat. They even thought bats were a type of bird. " The women both laughed at that tidbit of information. "Their understanding of science was very limited and almost completely based on what they observed, which, as we know, can often lead to misunderstandings. Of course, they thought there must be some sort of higher power involved in the workings of the world because they couldn't explain things for themselves. We know so much more about how things work in the world today, right? I think the difference between the two of us is that you don't see any divine intervention in what happens in the world around us, and I see it everywhere I look. But that doesn't mean we don't have the same goals, you know? I want the children in my classes, either during the school year or at Vacation Bible School in the summer, to grow up to be happy, productive adults, and I'm sure you want your students to be happy and productive as well. We just have a different point of view on how to get there."

Impressed by the younger woman's thoughts, Brennan nodded. "I believe you're right, Sister. We do have a common goal." Brennan paused for a second as she sat down next to the nun. "I don't need a god to tell me why the laws of physics work. I just accept that they do. I know why the sun rises and I understand evolution and global warming. I don't need a sacred book to explain things to me. That being said, I do want my students to be successful, just like you do."

"I mean no disrespect, Dr. Brennan, but when you just accept the laws of physics like that, how is that any different than my faith in the Lord? Aren't they both the same sort of thing?"

Brennan smiled as she studied Mary Agnes. "You are a very wise woman, Sister. Actually, my husband and I have this same argument on a regular basis. Given our mutual frustration with our discussions, it may be one of those no loss situations."

"I believe you mean a 'no-win' situation, Dr. Brennan. I agree. Perhaps there are some things that aren't worth arguing about." Calling the children over, the young woman clapped her hands to get their attention. "Okay, me darlins'...it's watermelon time. Don't forget...ask your parents to bring you to the parish hall by 6:30 tonight. We need everyone here on time."

"Yes, Sister." The children scampered away to some picnic tables where slices of watermelon awaited them.

"I'll see you this evening, Sister." Brennan smiled as she went to join her daughter.

"It should be a very interesting evening. I'll see you then, Dr. Brennan."