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Other essays on this theme
Essay: "Neighbors"by David Turner
When we think about who are our neighbors, we probably include all the people who live near us; we do, when we are thinking of the primary definition of the word 'neighbor.' But in practice, we do not always acknowledge every person as our neighbor based simply on the fact that they live near us. At heart, our true neighbors are the individuals` living near us, who we are attached to by esteem and affection, thereby, making the word 'neighbor' synonymous with the word 'friend.' Indeed, we are in urgent need to revisit the secondary definition of the word 'neighbor', "fellowman" (Merriam Webster Dictionary), declaring our neighbors to be far and beyond our friends living next door.
Over two thousand years ago, a great religious leader gave an excellent lesson regarding what makes a neighbor. He taught: A certain man was traveling and was ambushes, robbed, beaten and left half dead. Meanwhile, a man happened upon the injured traveler. He hurried across the road and went on his way. Subsequently, a second man chanced upon the injured man, offering no assistance. He, too, continued his journey. Finally, a third man came upon the injured man. Alas! When he saw the injured man, he stopped, cleaned and dressed the injured man's wounds, and took the injured man to an inn. What's more, he paid the innkeeper to take care of the injured man promising on his return journey to pay any additional incurred debt. Then the religious leader asked, "Which of these three do you think was the neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" And the answer came---the same vibrant answer that must come today: The man who showed the injured man kindness and compassion (Holy Bible, Luke 10:25-37). What made the third man the injured man's neighbor had nothing to do with the proximity of their residences. Without doubt, the third man was the injured man's neighbor because of an attribute or attitude; it was a virtuous action' it was unconditional love. Over the years, our hearts were not permeated with kindness and compassion but rather with ignorance, fears, stereotypes, prejudices, bigotry and racism. These factors have created barriers to our philanthropic abilities to reach out with helping hands to other people, especially people different than we are. Still, perhaps one day, when all of us put on the attitude of neighborliness, when all of us acknowledges as our neighbor every man, woman, and child, the world's population may constitute one harmonious neighborhood' wherein everyone shows everybody kindness and compassion. |