LIFE WITH NEIGHBORS

“Far better a Neighbor near you,
than a brother who is far off.”

I was recently reminded by my brother-in-law, who is a committed student of the Holy Bible, during a discussion on the subject of relationships with our neighbors, of the above quotation taken from Proverbs 27:10. He was lamenting the fact that unlike past times, there was a growing tendency to keep away from our neighbors in the name of increased privacy and of avoiding giving the impression of being inquisitive. He added that in years gone by a good neighbor was considered to be a blessing who deserves respect and honor. Further, he added that the definition of neighbor should extend not only to the person next door but should include residents of up to 40 houses in all directions. In effect, this really includes the whole neighborhood.

By definition a neighbor is someone who lives in close proximity to you and with whom you share common boundary. But in truth this is a relative term which depends on a number of variables relating to whether you are a city dweller, an urban dweller or a rural dweller, and is not necessarily restricted to the immediate contact but to any one with whom a relationship is developed. A good neighbor is one who is friendly, caring and considerate, who respects your space and privacy but who is always ready and willing to extend support and help whenever it is needed. He is one who takes time to reach out and connect, to talk and smile, to look out for the welfare of your children and your property and above all, do nothing to initiate or encourage any ill-will. In fact a good neighbor is the most essential component for a successful community, and no community will ever survive without the help of good neighbors.

In my own experience, in my many years of living in various countries and differing cultures, I have been blessed in all but one occasion, with good neighbors with whom I have shared many rewarding relationships. We have shared happiness and sorrows, success and failures, good news and bad news, all the time respecting one another’s need for privacy and discretion. Indeed I feel very comfortable in endorsing that a good neighbor is as important as any member of my family and deserve as much respect.

On the one occasion where I have had the great misfortune of living next to a neighbor who chose to exercise his right to complete privacy and isolation, the environment was at best regrettable. In my mind, it certainly confirmed the statement better an enemy than a bad neighbor. For with an enemy, you are always prepared to protect yourself, but with such a neighbor, you are overwhelmed with a sense of ambivalence and uncertainty.

But neighbors are not only individuals who share adjoining spaces; they are also communities and countries sharing common boundaries. As in the case of individual neighbors, they also are bound by the same rules of mutual respect and responsibility which if applied, will lead to mutual peace and prosperity for all. Unfortunately this seems not to be the case in so many situations as to render the world in a state of such intense turmoil and conflict and to inflict such unimaginable pain and suffering on so many defenseless people, whose only need is to live in peace and safety. We need only to examine any of the conflicts which have caused, and continue to cause, such severe economic and personal suffering, to really see that the root cause is the product of a few, misguided, misinformed and biased individuals who, like the bad neighbors, are prepared to cause untold conflict and misery, to satisfy their own agenda.

These people, whether they are your next door neighbor, or the president of a country waging war against a neighboring country, or the leader of a religious group condemning another religious group or any other similar conflict, invariably justify their actions by invoking the name of the Almighty who is on their side. What a crying shame that they do so, for were they genuinely concerned with the wishes of the Almighty God they will no doubt be aware of his own words as related to us in Luke Chapter 10, Verse 27:

"YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,
AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL,
AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH,
AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND;
-AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."



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He who sleeps contently,
while his neighbors sleep hungry,
did not believe my message.

…..Prophet Mohammad


You can fool the devil,
but you can’t fool the Neighbors.

……Francis Bacon

When strangers start acting like Neighbors;
….Communities are reinvigorated.

……Ralph Nader

Don’t throw stones at your Neighbors;
-Especially if your own windows are glass.

…..Benjamin Franklin

Few of us could bear to have ourselves as Neighbors.

……Mignon McLaughlin

Great Spirit, grant that I may not criticize my neighbor;
Until I have walked a mile in his moccasins.

…… Cherokee Indian Prayer.

A man is called selfish not for pursuing his own good,
but for neglecting his Neighbor's.

…….Richard Whately