Will you be my neighbor

roamcare
Jul 16
4 min read

“Won't you please, won't you please? Please, won't you be my neighbor? Neighbors are people who are close to us. And friends are people who are close to our hearts. I like to think of you as my neighbor and my friend.” Those are the closing lyrics to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” the song featured in every Mr. Rogers television show episode.

According to American author and speaker Amy Hollingsworth, author of The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers defined "neighbor" as "the person you happen to be with at the moment," emphasizing presence and shared humanity over proximity. Indeed, the definition takes us far beyond only those living next door, across the street, or in the same apartment or condo building. We all have the potential to be neighbors. People who are close to us, and not just physically close.

One thing we know we share with every other human on the planet is our humanity. What you make of your humanity is up to you, but there is no doubt that you are just as human as anyone else is, and everyone else is just a human as you are. We think of how others could be, or often can be, when we need a neighborly hand.

When we are stuck alongside the highway with a flat tire and no spare. When we go on vacation and come home to discover we lost our house key somewhere “out there.” When we need a ride to the store, or to church or temple, or to an appointment. These are when we hope someone makes room in their car, or remembers you gave them an emergency key, or happens to drive along and sees you struggling on the side of the road. But how often do you begin a day thinking how you might come to someone’s rescue, or how you might simply make a point of smiling and saying hello to anyone, and everyone you meet?

We hear the word neighbor a lot but what does it really mean for us? Is it just another way of differentiating acquaintances from friends? Is it just the person next door? (Is there a person next door?) We believe “neighbor” is synonymous with “fellow man.” Not unlike as Fred Rogers put it, whoever you happen to be with at the moment. You are not always going to be with good friends, loving family members, or boon companions. There will be times, many times, most times, when you will be with people you don’t know, or barely know, or may even know you don‘t want to know. These people are your neighbors too. They qualify for the “neighbor” distinction in the phrase we use so often, “love thy neighbor.”

British theologian Richard Whatley speaks of neighborliness as “an ongoing flow of goodwill.” Five ways to let your goodwill flow, to be neighborly, are to be generous of your time, talent, joy, and compassion, to be ethical while setting high standards and sticking to them, to be fair and honest, to be constantly kind, and to be peaceful and forgiving.

Everyone knows of the story of the Good Samaritan. But do you know the story of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan is someone who went beyond just helping someone in need.

There was a traveler who fell prey to bandits and was left robbed and beaten at the side of the road. An elder, and official of the area saw him and passed by. A religious leader saw him and passed by. The Samaritan saw him, jumped right in, and began tending to the traveler’s wounds. He loaded him onto his own donkey and took him to an inn. There he stayed with him the night, caring for him. In the morning, before he resumed his journey, he left money with the innkeeper for the stay and for anything else the traveler may need, saying if he needed more, he would reimburse the innkeeper on his way back.

Was the Samaritan generous? Indeed, he was generous of his time, of his talent in tending the traveler’s wounds, and of his treasure, paying for his stay and care at the inn.
Was the Samaritan ethical? More so than the citizen leaders who avoided the wounded traveler.
Was the Samaritan fair and honest? He knew he had to resume his journey and couldn’t stay with the traveler for a long time. He let know those who would be following up with the traveler what he had done before he set off again.
Was he kind? He was so kind that he even paid for the traveler’s care and left instructions to let him know
And was he peaceful and forgiving? The traveler was a Jew, and the Samaritans were typically despised by the Jews. That didn’t stop the Samaritan from doing what he needed to do to tend to an injured fellow human. He forgave the whole to peacefully care for the one. He let his goodwill flow.

If we look different than you, if we speak differently than you, if we believe in different religions or causes than you, will you be our neighbor? You unlikely will be called to bandage our wounds or carry us off to the hospital. You might find one of us in need of help to change a tire or to get to a doctor appointment. You might see one of us walking toward you with a frown and offer a smile to cheer us. You might see us in the back of the room at the holiday open house and offer to introduce us to some other “neighbors.” Whenever you can share your humanity with someone, do so willingly and let your goodwill freely flow!