Over the years, as I’ve studied the Bible in light of the teachings of Christian Science, I’ve come to realize that the question “What will I do today?” is not mere idle wondering. My decisions about what to do are likely to have an effect on me and the people I meet. This has always been true. 

Take, for example, the Bible story (see Luke 10:25-37) in which a man asks Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers by asking him, “What is written in the law?” and confirms his response, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God . . . and thy neighbour as thyself” with, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” But when the man asks, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus shares a parable about a traveler who is beaten, robbed, and left by the side of the road. A priest and a Levite pass by without stopping, but a Samaritan stops, tends to the man’s wounds, and takes him to a nearby inn, where he can be cared for.

Jesus made it plain that care for others—meeting people’s immediate needs—is something we should do.