What does it mean to be a neighbor? Who is my neighbor?
Reflecting upon the parable of the good Samaritan, I have come to realize what it truly means to be “neighborly.” That one person you did not expect to reach out actually did, and the people you did expect did not do anything. It doesn’t matter where you stand in society or who you are. What matters is the fact that you went out of your way to just help out without expecting anything in return. Come to think of it, this reading from Ricouer could not have come at a better time.
Typhoon Yolanda was a category five storm, and is one of the strongest storms recorded, and has proved to be devastating. The funny thing about wide-scale tragedies in the Philippines is how it can bring out both the best and worst in everybody. Pictures of relief goods slapped with stickers from a certain politician circulated the internet. Journalists were put on the spotlight for reporting the harsh realities on site, and some were questioned for sugarcoating. It’s amazing how many people have turned their acts of charity into their very own press conference or publicity gimmick. But what’s more amazing are the people who have given their all because of the simple reason that they just wanted to help.
During my experience at the relief operations in campus, I’ve seen such people. 24 hours of packing, running back and forth, and keeping their energy up just to carry on. They gave, and even when literally everything started to hurt, they didn’t stop. These people don’t know who their family packs will go to, some don’t even personally know anyone directly affected by the typhoon. They didn’t care either if these people will ever know how they stayed up all night for the packs. Now that is what I’d call a true neighbor.
True, being a neighbor should be 24/7 and not just when disaster strikes, but I think these calamities can serve as wake-up calls. If we can display this much strength at such a time, then imagine how much we can give in less chaos if only we kept that neighborly spirit constant? I guess now is also a good time to remember that we are Ateneans and we are always called to be men and women for others.
