Who is your neighbour? – Vanguard News Who is your neighbour?

By Muyiwa Adetiba

Many of us know the words ‘The Good Samaritan’ but may not know from where they originated, and in which context.

The words came up when Jesus was asked the definition of a neighbour by a teacher of the law and Jesus replied with a story as he was wont to do.

The story was about a man on his way to Jericho from Jerusalem – a dangerous and lonely road for many years – who was attacked by robbers and possibly left for dead. As it happened, a Priest – an equivalent of today’s Pastor – saw the man in the throes of death but chose to pass by on the other side. Soon after, a Levite – let’s say an equivalent of today’s Imam – also saw the man but chose to pass by on the other side. They probably didn’t want to be contaminated by a sinner’s blood. But then a Samaritan – let’s also label him an equivalent of today’s despised immigrant because Samaritans were not fully accepted in Israel – showed compassion, treated the wounds, and handed him to an inn keeper for further treatment at his expense.

Then Jesus asked a rhetorical question ‘which of these three do you think made himself a neighbour to the man who fell to the hands of robbers’? The answer of course was the Samaritan. Hence the phrase ‘The Good Samaritan’.

Professor Babagana Zulum, the current governor of Borno State and a man after my heart, will I am sure, have no problem answering that question today if asked who his neighbour is with what he has gone through. Since he assumed the mantle of leadership for his beleaguered State, he had gone to various lengths to seek relief for his people. Recently, he was to confess that positive vibes of help came mainly from Western countries.

Almost all the Arab countries including those who share cultural and religious affinities with his people had been lukewarm at best. According to the report credited to him, he had reached out to all the Middle- Eastern countries that he believed had the financial…