Framed Piece
Detail of Panel #2This cut-paper collage uses a stained glass window style to both re-tell the story of the Good Samaritan and to illustrate a plausible second way to understand this text. Starting with the bottom left panel, the window reads from left to right and from bottom to top. The first eight panels are divided into a number of smaller pieces. In its lower pieces, each panel shows a scene from the story of the Good Samaritan; its upper pieces generally depict a parallel to the life and mission of Jesus the Christ.
As detailed in the recent scholarship and publications of John W. Welch, this allegorical interpretation can be found in the writings of many early Christian leaders and in the stained glass images of several medieval cathedrals. When the allegorical elements are added, the Parable of the Good Samaritan answers the primary and essential question: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" It suggests that Adam, and each of us, came down from the "Holy City" to this earth to participate in the great Plan of Salvation. The Savior's mission of rescue and redemption – the power of His atonement and resurrection – is the keystone of this message. The top-most panel reminds us of Our Good Samaritan's promise that He will come again.
