Remember the golden rule?
Well, Jesus had a version of that: “Love your neighbor as thyself.” He even said it was one of the greatest of all the commandments.
So, who is my neighbor?
When Jesus was asked this question, he responded with the story of the good Samaritan. A man who had been robbed and beaten nearly to death lay on the side of the road. A priest and holy man pass him by. Finally, a Samaritan man, a stranger, stopped and bandaged the man’s wounds.
Everyone is your neighbor. Whether they live in Israel, or in Gaza, or in the part of town you try to avoid. The person asking for change at the light or the person next to you now.
We are all neighbors to one another.
It means we show love in our actions even when it is not easy. It is even more important when it is difficult.
Avoid judging others, be open to them. Choose humility. Put yourself in another’s shoes. Put forth the effort to show your love by listening and then act.
Imagine what this world could be if we all just tried to live up to loving thy neighbor as thyself. It is up to each of us to keep this commandment alive in your daily world. It is up to each of us to turn the words into reality.
I’m Dan Kenney, and this is my perspective.
