Every person has a relationship with other people around him. Are those people are family, friends, coworkers, business partners and others who loved us or have similar interests with us. The people who we know is we are set apart and store in our agenda book or in our phone book list. This is so that we will never forget the people that we know it. We may record the whole of their names or maybe just a few names that have close ties or have similar interests with us. Basically this means that we are doing is right and fair. However, whether we realize it or not that this will make the association and our relationship will become more narrow or wide?. When we define these people as the choice of friendship or our association, then the horizon we will only focus on the people that we have set it. In other words, our activities will become narrower.
Only these people which is the direction of our attention and as if the only people this is our neighbor. Actually, who are those who are around you? There is the idea that people who are around us or our neighbors are people who have one culture, nation, tribe or have one religion. This view is narrow for me, because I think whoever we are (regardless of their differences) are the same as God's creatures. Both the culture, nation, tribe or religion that has a view like the one above is a society (culture, nation, tribe and religion, etc.) is closed. They can’t get along or are friends with people from outside their environment. People like this will feel strange when they see other people who have nothing in common with them , whether the similarity in terms of skin color, face, fashion,and others.
Views of narrow self- limiting and close friendships are a relic of ancient times, but in this modern age there are still too narrow views even though many countries are increasingly diverse. There are people who unknowingly have a view or opinion that the fellow they were just people of one nationality , one ethnic , one culture or one religion with them. They would feel odd if socialized with them, so they will be less happy if the presence of people who do not have the same background with them.
Perhaps we unknowingly we had been trapped in such a narrow view. Let us note and remember those who become friends and our friends. Anyone with one nation, one culture and one religion with us or who I do not have the same background with us. Is that such a narrow scope and nature of our lives? In the Gospel of Luke 10:33-35 says that: "... when he saw the man, his heart was moved by compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, after he came to water with oil and wine..." In Luke's Gospel is a parable that illustrates the story of a benevolent Samaria. We know that in the context of this parable of the Samaritan is not favored by the Jews. But the Samaritans who did not have the same striped background with people he can help do good. It turns out that there are people in our environment or our neighbors are people who need a place in our hearts. In other words that our neighbors are people who have a conscience and who always showed compassion. Even Jesus Christ has made us a part of His work of salvation, because we are all human fellow creatures of God.
Be kind to our neighbors (the people around us), because we also expect others to do well against us. We much love other people beside us.
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