The Good Samaritan — A Parable Retold

There once was a conspicuous consumer who bought a red Tesla because he thought it looked good and he enjoyed having people notice him. “Virtue signaler,” the conservationists and nature lovers called him. “Were the battery materials sources sustainably? Will they be recycled without destroying the environment?”

The conspicuous consumer bought solar panels and put them on his roof because he was greedy and wanted to save money on his power bills. “They ruin my view,” said the conservationist. “The discourage the birds and possums,” said the nature lover. “In a few years, they will be in landfills! Who will pay for their disposal?”

The conspicuous consumer bought shares in a wind farm to make money from the renewable energy boom. “It ruins the view even more,” said the conservationist. “It kills the birds,” said the nature lover. “How will they recycle those giant fiberglass blades?”

The conspicuous consumer bought electric scooters for his family. They go on rides on weekends using the public cycleways and walkways. “They get in the way when I go for a walk,” said the conservationist. “My dog gets upset at the sound of the motors,” said the nature lover.

“Donate to our causes,” said the conservationists and the nature lovers. But the conspicuous consumer had no money left after buying his electric cars and scooters, putting solar panels on his roof, and buying shares in renewable energy companies. So the conservations railed against new technology and its disruptions and the nature lover planted trees.

And Jesus posted to his disciples on Facebook and messaged his followers on LinkedIn: “Who is it that best protected my garden that I created and gave to man to tend and to watch over?”