Editorial November 1, 1913 Issue

True Neighborliness

John B. Willis

There is no sign of our times which is more encouraging than the universal longing for the fruits of brotherhood. It is a cry for fellowship and kindliness, and it can be satisfied, not by legislation and the enforcement of right, however legitimate and desirable these may be, but only by obedience to Jesus' command, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," which is the theme and demonstration of Christian Science.

In answer to a direct question respecting this command, Jesus told the simple story of the good Samaritan, in which he defined not only the nature of neighborliness but its true Christian measure. He makes it clear that the poor man who had been wounded and robbed, symbolizes our "near-by" needy fellows, as the Greek puts it, and that they are to be loved as we love ourselves and would have others love us. The conduct of the Samaritan has always been recognized as consistently Christian, and the heart of the great economic movements of our times is a demand that Christians shall follow his example, a reasonable requirement which certainly must be met before our social problems can be solved.

The Master came at a time when racial pride and prejudice had united to bring about the unbrotherliness of religious intolerance and social exclusiveness. This was the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees whom he addressed, and the pith of his story was the condemnation of caste, their lack of the Messianic impulse of genuine compassion.

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