The hero of the Samaritan story is the Samaritan.
The Samaritan doesn't observe the right religion, like the priest and the Levite, but shows compassion to the stranger by actually stopping to care for him. The Samaritan didn't just drop off a few supplies, build the stranger a cinder block hospital, or snap a few pictures; instead, he poured expensive oil and wine on the victim's wounds, put him on his own animal, and took care of him at a roadside inn. He went out of his way to know what was needed and, once he assessed the situation, he stayed. Even when he had to leave, he left money for the local innkeeper to care for the man and promised to return. The Samaritan invested in the life of the stranger.
