Building bonds with our neighbours

BE neighbourly. Love your neighbours.

Smile and say “hello”, “how are you”, when you meet your neighbours anywhere. It matters.

Neighbours are the best people to be around these days, amid rampant crime and unfriendliness.

I still remember my Christian neighbour. I was about 17 years old then. My father used to leave our house keys with him whenever we went to visit our relatives.

And the neighbour’s kids would look after our chickens, cat and rabbit when we were away. They would feed them, too. They loved our rabbit!

Our neighbour would pay our electricity and water bills if we were away visiting our relatives in a nearby town. So good they were.

Do we have such reliable and trustworthy neighbours today?

As a grandfather, I realise that neighbours can make our lives more interesting and less worrisome. So, we should work and co-operate with our neighbours.

Good neighbours are hard to come by, and when you are lucky to have them, cherish them. Work hand-in-hand with them. Be nice and kind to them. Be with them in all matters that affect the neighbourhood.

During festivals, visit one another. Join the merriment. On such occasions, neighbours should matter to you, too.

Speaking of neighbours, Jesus Christ commands us to “love your neighbour as yourself”. Yes, strive to do that; treasure and cherish them.

We must be seen working together as neighbours. No man is an island.

It is good to have caring, trustworthy and reliable neighbours. And be a good neighbour yourself, too. It takes two hands to clap!