Social Justice
Who is my neighbor?
What is my role in being a good neighbor?
The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus pointed out that our neighbors are those we come into contact with daily (Luke 10:29Luke 10:29
English: World English Bible - WEB
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus was asked a very vital question which we should all make note of carefully. He was asked: ‘what should I do to inherit eternal life?’ The story of the Good Samaritan answers the questions above beautifully. It distinctly shows that our neighbors are those we come across in our daily walk of life. How do I therefore treat the people I come across in my different encounters? How do I treat the needy, the victims of oppression, the abused, people from another race, religion, ethnicity, culture? How do we treat people in general- black/ white- rich/ poor? How can I become a ‘Good Samaritan?’ Our character has to be reshaped, we have to renew our thoughts and become altruistic. According to the dictionary ‘altruism’ is care for the welfare of others. This is an attribute that many lack but fortunately it can be gained though a renewing of the mind.
If we are good neighbors then we can begin to think of our choices and how they affect the people who are in close proximity to us and those that are in other cities, states, countries, continents. Our decisions on what we buy, how we buy, products we use and where they come from is an example of us looking out for the welfare of others. In order to become good neighbors we have to eliminate some areas of negativity from our minds, for instance, ridicule, oppression, judgment etc. We should therefore begin to recognize the dignity of each person and begin caring for our world.
We have to ask ourselves the question-“would we risk our self to save another?” The Samaritan did that, do we possess that inner strength? Being concerned about the welfare of our neighbors is beyond just giving a dollar to those in need but going to a deeper level of trying to understand empathetically or sympathetically the reason behind this person’s need. In the book, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee the character Atticus Finch advises his daughter that not until you can walk around in someone else’s shoes then you can truly understand their experiences. My challenge to you is to eliminate superficial relationships, explore the reasons behind people’s decision not from a judgmental stance but from a loving and caring position.
Allow neighborly love to become a reality in your everyday encounters throughout your life journey.
