Faithfully yours - Lessons we must never forget, part three

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Published on Saturday, November 7, 2015

By Neil Strohschein

The Neepawa Banner

In one of his many encounters with the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus met an expert in the Law of Moses who wanted to know what he had to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him: “Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind; love your neighbor as yourself.”

To this, the legal expert replied: “Well said. Now—who is my neighbor?”

Jesus’ answer came in the form of a story. He told of a Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. En route, he was attacked by a bunch of thugs who robbed him of his goods, beat him to a pulp and left him on the road to die. The only person who came to his aid was a Samaritan—a man with whose people the Jews of Jesus’ day had nothing in common.

This story helped the legal expert answer his own question. His neighbor was any member of the human family who had a need that he could help to meet. As a good neighbor, he was to look past the person’s race, color, gender, country of origin or religious beliefs. He was to ignore the social, cultural and political barriers that divided people in his day and that continue to divide people today. When he heard a cry for help, he dared not ignore it.

That’s what Jesus told the Jewish legal expert. If he was here today, and if he could speak to our federal, provincial and local governments, he would say the same thing: “When you see a need or hear a cry for help, you dare not ignore it. You must do what you can to help.”

As Canadians, we have always prided ourselves in being good neighbors who were not afraid to come to the aid of people in need. And we have been more than generous in doing so.

Canadians have consistently been among the highest in per capita giving to emergency appeals, community agencies and charitable organizations—especially to churches and foreign mission societies. We have done this despite losing almost 50 per cent of our gross income to taxes, fees and other charges paid to three levels of government.

We have given our time to help build communities of which we can be justly proud. In the early years of the last century, we worked together to help our neighbors build homes, farm buildings, corrals, fences and whatever else a neighbor might need. In our spare time, we built schools, churches, sports facilities and community halls. They are our legacy to our children; and they are now taking ownership of these facilities and using them in ways that meet their families’ needs.

And we have given our children—our young men and women. Some went overseas as part of Canada’s contribution to the allied forces in World Wars I and II. Some went to Korea. Others have served as peace keepers and more recently, as active duty personnel in the Middle East. 

Wherever they have gone, they have worked hard, fought bravely and in some cases “died with their faces to the foe.” They were good neighbors. They heard a cry for help and answered it. They did what they could and they gave what they had (even to the extent of laying down their lives) to help a neighbor in need. 

Their example, their courage and their sacrifice is their legacy to us. In a few days, we will stand in silence to honor them; and thank them for teaching us a lesson we must never forget.