Who is My Neighbor?

“Who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29

A scholar of the law asked Jesus this question after he recited the great commandments of loving God and loving neighbor. Indeed, do we know who our neighbors are? 

Pope Francis writes that the Parable of the Good Samaritan “indicates a way of life, which has at its main point not ourselves, but others, with their difficulties, whom we encounter on our journey and who challenge us.” Do we, like the Good Samaritan, stop, go out of our way, take our focus off ourselves, to help a brother or sister in need? 

I appreciate the sharing of Lizanne Southgate so much because the one who stopped and helped her was a cleaning woman at a hospital. Lizanne had to bring her 2-year old son, Larkin, for surgery and she was all alone because her husband was at home taking care of their other children. While waiting in agony, fearing for her son’s life, she saw on the TV in the waiting room that the city of Los Angeles was engulfed in riots and fires. Her mother was there and she could not get through. She collapsed against the wall weeping. 

When the elevator doors opened, a wiry cleaning lady emerged pushing a big fuzzy, dust mop. The lady, after a moment, slid down beside Lizanne and asked what was wrong. She held Lizanne’s hands in her rough, work-worn hands and patted them. She began to speak of her own life and Lizanne realized the old lady had so many sorrows. “How do you survive?” she asked. 

“You just gotta have faith. Nothing lasts forever, it all passes on. And when you can’t hold on no more, you just let go and let the angels carry your troubles awhile. It’ll be all right.” Lizanne’s “mop angel” stayed with her until the doctors came out to tell her they were able to take the gangrenous appendix out of Larkin, and that he would be fine. She eventually found out her mother was safe as well. 

Lord, I hope I am not too busy with my own concerns not to see my neighbor. I hope I can be present to those in need and not be so focused on my own needs.