The Good Samaritan. St Nicholas, Thames Ditton, Surrey. This three-light window is the first of the south aisle wall, after the south chapel. It dates from 1873 (see Eberhard). It shows in good detail and very expressively the main stages of the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10, 25-37. The three scenes on which it focusses tell all we need to know about human nature — its potential for both cruelty and kindness.
The window also shows, in the image of the victim trying to shield himself from blows, our vulnerability and need for each other's comfort and help. In the last scene, on the right, the Samaritan still supports the victim, whom he has bandaged and covered, and the victim still clings to his rescuer. Beneath the three lights is the exhortation relating to the Samaritan's actions: "Go and do thou likewise (Luke 10, 37).
The window as a whole, shown on the right here, is full of detail. As for the scenes themselves, we can see that the victim's assailants have even stripped him of his sandals. Above the central light is the "Lamb of God" motif in the tracery, and below that an angel, both endorsing the Samaritan's good deed.
Other windows in St Nicholas
- The Three Maries at the Sepulchre
- St Mary and St John the Evangelist
- John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene
- The Prodigal Son
- St Augustine and St Nicholas (two windows)
- South aisle west window (designs)
- "Suffer Little Children"
Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at St Nicholas, Thames Ditton, Surrey." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 20 December 2014.
Created 20 December 2014