Go and Do Likewise

“ ‘Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?’

“And he said, ‘He that showed mercy on him.’ Then said Jesus unto him, ‘Go and do thou likewise.’ ” – Luke 10:36-38, 21^st Century King James Bible

Bilal Quintyne, Belinda Whitaker – CBS News

We start the month with two stories of good Samaritans.

As reported by Michelle Miller for CBS News (June 28), “After finding 67-year-old Belinda Whitaker stranded in her broken-down wheelchair on his way to the gym, Bilal Quintyne simply started pushing.

“ ‘I just asked her,’ “You need any help?” And she needed it,’ Quintyne said. ‘I just jumped right to it.’

“Pushing a stranger along the road wasn’t the workout the 24-year-old boxer expected, and watching motorists just drive by, he says he got frustrated. So he started speaking his mind, which his buddy caught on camera.

“ ‘I don’t care what you’re going through, when God calls you to help, you supposed to help! Period,’ he was heard saying.

“Quintyne battled the Georgia heat, pushing Whitaker for 30 minutes all the way back to her home. At the end of their journey, they both forgot to exchange numbers.

“ ‘I think maybe I was in shock or something, or disbelief, but I didn’t get his name or anything,’ Whitaker said.

Over a month went by until another chance encounter.

“I ran into the young man that was videotaping everything, and the first thing I said was, ‘What’s his name?’ and, ‘Give me his phone number,'” Whitaker said.

Finally, she got to speak to the good Samaritan who helped her.

As reported by television station WFTS in Tampa Bay, Florida (June 28).

“A Pinellas County man jumped onto a moving bus to save a bus driver who was having a medical emergency.

“Video shows the bus first zooming past on the sidewalk. Later, you can see part of a concrete pole go down as the bus is heading toward oncoming traffic before a good Samaritan turned the wheel and corrected the bus.

“ ‘I could tell there was a problem because I followed him for a mile,’ said Mike Hale.

“Mike Hale said he saw the bus hop curbs and swerve on busy streets. He dialed 911 as he inched closer to the bus and followed it. He was able to get the bus driver’s attention.

“ ‘He was talking, but didn’t make any sense,’ said Hale.

“The scary situation unfolded around 10:30 Wednesday morning. Treasure Island was packed with people driving or walking.

“ ‘It wasn’t until that young lady said I think he’s having a seizure that’s when I jumped on the bus,’ said Hale.

“No one else was on board the bus. Hale had parked his car at a nearby bank and jumped onto the moving bus. The driver was unresponsive by the time Hale was there.

“ ‘There was no keys, no red stop button! I had not been on a bus in 40 years!’ said Hale.

“The bus accelerated before Hale crashed into a concrete pole on Treasure Island Causeway. He was able to avoid pedestrians walking and other vehicles.

“ ‘A huge concrete pole and it was pummeled. It looked like a bomb went off. It was broken into so many tiny pieces,’ said Rene Kesig, an employee at Lana’s Downtown Lounge.

“The bus driver remains in a hospital. His family requested privacy. We were unable to get an update on his condition or learn more about his medical emergency.

“Officials with Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) said he has worked for them for 17 years.”

Mike Hale and Bilal Quintyne, two examples of individuals who didn’t hesitate to help when needed.

“Go and do likewise.”