Year: 1877

Which of these three, said Jesus, was
neighbor to him that fell among thieves? =?
This question implies that neither of the
three was neighbor to the man till some-
thing had been undertaken for his relief;
and that he who did undertake it, did
then become his neighb0r Thus it Is
from within man himselfth that neighbor-
hood comes, yet not from within such an
one as shows tttefcy. He is my neighbor,
who needing me, is iudee helped by nae;
so that | am his neighbor before he Is
mine. Thus am sent to the depths Of
of my own heart to identify any man as
my neighbor. Have | compassion? :?
Have | a controlling sense of human
interest? Have the feeling and the
energy to do what | may Tor others2 The
ION who is my neighboT IL
IuJo''r Isnoh n9roue as must be solved from
within with q" WI, o,is mine is answered by
whose wr,n' am ~ l. If | am his neighbor
then have I peighbor, anu bsro WIS, I'D a.,
though the man whom this r'il''. pa'o ln;'ue h;.I
my neighbor may not realize 1t tor Hi- ~
self, may be conscious OF no such teeliA, :
toward me. And thus we notice with
W at heavenly skill Jesus stated the
question-not "To which Of the three
was that poor sufferer neighbor ?" but
(Which of the three was neighbor to
him ?" for thus the answer To the ques-
ton in the first of these two forms Is
driven back upon us by the question in
this second form, in the most direct and
self searching way, and grows bright as
by a flash Of lightning with the true ex-
panation and is now forever thrown back
on every repeater of it in the revealing
light Of intuition and conviction, OF con-
science and consciousness. Hence, love
itself is the maker OF neighborhOod and
therein is the fulfilling OF the law. 1t il
the felt fellowship of manhood, which Is
neighborhood. 1t is mighty sense oi
human interest nets sentiment merely,
but@ a deep conviction ; not ..alone an
emotion, but principle; a fellow feeling,
sympathy, vigorous and acting, not
only self.gratihed within, but self-assert-
ing without; lively sensibility, a
thorough purpose and a busy
hand, all standing next to a mans
needs, and knocking at every human
heart according as opportunity is given,
thereby unfolding out of itself the very
law of God, while in the act OF obeying
it. What is neighborhood but kindness,
that is, the feeling of kind, the realiza-
ton of the human kin; therefore, the
true feeling of great realities, and itself
an imperishable reality and the sunshine
of the affections, and the comprehensive
sweep OF ones appreciation OF things, and
a positive sense of one sweet harmony
in the grand circle of human relations ?
What is neighborhood but our service
OF the personal God, our dwelling in
love, the rejoicing with them that do
rejoice and the weeping with them that
weep, the suffering long, the envying
not, the not behaving unseemly, the not
seeking its own, the going about doing
good ? What is it but the sowing of the
seeds of light, to spring up into a harvest
of splend0rs And how sublime is its
good will The mountains, and the riv-
ers, and the oceans, are none of its
boundaries; human want is the wide
world of its interests, and human rtliet
and human good the living embodiment
of ITSELF Chicago Appeal