Who is my Neighbour

This question is posed to Jesus in Luke 10 by an expert in the law, with the intention of self-justification. What follows, of course, is the Parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the relationship of neighbour to neighbour is shown to extend across the most entrenched of boundaries. But for some of us, that question, ‘Who is my neighbour?’, could almost be asked literally. To my own shame, it took me almost a year to move beyond polite good mornings and the occasional retrieval of parcels with our delightful next-door-neighbours. In the end, it was my desire to cultivate the acquaintance of their cat which brought us together and forged a friendship – albeit the cat still runs away from me.

The United Kingdom still prides itself on the value of ‘neighbourliness’, and across the country, bins are still put away, parcels received, cats fed and plants watered in acts of simple kindness between neighbours. But the overall picture is less encouraging: in 2025 the WHO warned of the global health effects of the ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’, cautioning the world community about the hugely detrimental effects of social isolation on public health.

The Be Ready Campaign has encouraged all households in the UK to assemble supplies for three days in case of national emergency. Much of the coverage of this has focused on what individuals or households need to do in order to be prepared, but the Campaign materials also frequently emphasise the importance of networks and communities reaching beyond individual households. Whether that looks like offering a spare sleeping bag or coordinating a plan to support elderly or disabled people in our community, being ready does not stop at having bottled water under the sink. As Christians, we are called to love beyond the most entrenched of boundaries – including the garden fence.