The second commandment is ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. The biblical term ‘Good Samaritan’ further gives a vivid description of a neighbour. The Parable of the Good Samaritan in both the religious and secular circles illustrates a critical feature of a neighbour who irrespective of his or her tribe, nationality, location, or gender will come to the aid of another at challenging times without reward in return or no strings attached. Who is your neighbour? BETTY AMUKPO examines some children.
‘My neighbour is that person that lives close to me; not all neighbours are neighbours’
My neighbour is that person that lives close to me, not all neighbours are neighbours. A good neighbour is the person that thinks good about you, have you in mind and always help in times of difficulties. The story about the three men in the Bible, the Levite, Priest and the Samaritan that saw a man been robbed and wounded, while the priest and the Levite walked away when they saw him the Samaritan man took pity on him and helped him out. The Samaritan is the good neighbour who went out of his way to help someone in pains without minding the circumstances. According to John 13:34-35, Jesus elevates the love we are to have for our neighbours by giving a new command “love one another..” I am so fortunate to have a kind neighbor who cares for us and tolerant, we get along with each other, my relationship with my neighbour has been good and I pray it continues. Mark 12:31 says love your neighbour the same as you love yourself. Love is not proud, it doesn’t dishonor others, love never fails.
• Chima Anita
‘Anyone who shows kindness, love, respect etc to another is a good neighbour’
A neighbour is a person who live nextdoor to you and work alongside with you. The relationship with my neighbour is cordial and we care for each other. Help each other in times of need and difficulty both financially, spiritually and otherwise. We respect each other. Anyone who shows kindness, love, respect etc to another is a good neighbour whether he lives near to you or not. In Mark 12:31 God said “Love your neighbour as yourself. This means you should have agape love with each other. In Proverbs 17:17 God said “A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for a time of adversity. This means when someone is going to be there when things get hard.
• Anyasor Chibuike Raphael
‘A neighbour is a person I get along with and always assist when he or she needs help’
Neighbour is a person I get along with and always assist when he or she needs help. In the book of Luke 10:25-37 when Jesus asks which of these three – The Priest, The Levite or The Samaritan acted as a neighbour to the robbed man, The Lawyer answered “The one who showed him mercy.” Describe Your Relationship… You can define the relationship by:
1. Assessing where you are in the relationship.
2. Assessing what you want.
3. Preparing yourself for what they might say and how you will react.
4. Be specific.
• Umennadi Francis Chibunna
‘My neighbour is not only someone who lives next door to me but someone who shares the feeling of kindness and love’
My neighbour is someone who is a lover of God. Not only someone who lives next door to me but someone who shares the feeling of kindness and love. The world is a place and we are all neighbours of one another. My school mates are my neighbours, my teachers are my neighbours. In line with the word of God of God in the book of Leviticus 19:18; “Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don’t try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” From this verse, we are all human and we can hurt one another but you have to be a good doer and do what you will like for yourself for your neighbour, which is loving your neighbour as yourself…
• Eyinade Gideon
‘To be a neighbour, according to Jesus, means to come alongside someone’
To be a neighbour, according to Jesus, means to come alongside someone. As Christians, we must remember that we are Christians first and Nigerians second. Our nationality should never surpass our faith and duties. This is what we must keep in mind when we consider our “neighbour”. Do not plot harm against your neighbour, who lives trustfully near you. “It is a sin to despise one’s neighbour, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.” “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” And he said the same with his letter to the Colossians: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you had a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:13–14). Mark 12:31 states, “The second most important command is this: Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself. These two commands are the most important.” God help us all to be good neighbours.
• Okononfua Bryan
‘Our neighbours can be anywhere’
My neighbours are the people I relate with daily. So that means anyone around me is my neighbour not just the people living beside my house. Our neighbours can be anywhere. My relationship with people as friends, besties and so on. We have different kinds of relationships with them. The Bible says we should “Love our neighbours as ourselves”. Mark 12:31. Hebrews 13:1-2 states that we should love one another as brothers and sisters and that we should show hospitality to strangers as some have unknowingly shown hospitality to angels just by being hospitable to strangers.
• Blossom Akalezi
‘My neighbour is everyone and anyone around me’
My neighbour is everyone and anyone around me. The parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ also made us to understand our neighbour is everybody irrespective of religion and tribe. I am to love my neighbour as myself. Mark 12:31
• Ebubechukwu Chinedu
‘You don’t really need to know everything about the person before the person can be your neighbour’
In Matthew 22:37-39, it is written, “… Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” thus, a neighbour is someone we see regularly or interact with, a distant family member, friend, colleague or in general someone you just met. You don’t really need to know everything about the person before the person can be your neighbour, e.g., the case of the good Samaritan who acted as a neighbour to a robbed man he met on the way. Relationship should be more of an expression of love, care, selflessness, understanding, kindness and compassion. Same I show to those around me or my neighbours. When need arises, we should always lend a helping hand.
• Victoria Okefe
‘A neighbour for me is like a family because of the way my mum does with them’
A neighbour for me is like a family because of the way my mum does with them. It can be far more peaceful to live among neighbors that like and respect each other, especially when they’re living in close proximity. Respectful neighbors are less likely to invade your space, be loud and rowdy, and makel daily life stressful. Good neighbours watch out for each other’s wellbeing and safety of their property.
• Adigwe Chisom
