While waiting to listen to President Obama’s speech tonight, I caught a story on NPR about Chester Cook. He’s the chaplain at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He likes to help people. I was reminded that it is often the noble efforts of people like Cook who remind me why I am glad to be an American. He does not push his religion, he does not preach. His ministry is service to those in need. I’ve got no problem with that. Heck, I want to be more like him myself.
The United Methodist minister models his ministry on the parable of the good Samaritan — a stranger who helps a traveler in crisis and practices kindness, often without mentioning religion. Cook says he gets a lot of practice in these days of inflexible airline rules. He often pays a traveler's $150 change fee from his chaplain's budget or his own wallet. And sometimes he manages to bend the rules.