Love Your Neighbor by Stephanie

Love Your Neighbor by Stephanie - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

“Namaste: the God in me sees and honors the God in you.” This is the closing line of “Warriors Don't Cry,” a biography by Melba Patillo Beals recounting her high school experience. She, along with 8 other students attended Central High, an all white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, the first students to take advantage of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling mandating the integration of schools. Through the combined wisdom of her Grandmother and her temporary bodyguard from the 101st airborne, she learned to withstand the torment (both physically and emotionally) she was subjected to as a student at Central High by the other students in a way that reflected many virtuous traits, especially love. She learned to say “Thank You” when glue or eggs were thrown at her. She learned to literally turn the other cheek when she was assaulted physically and verbally by students in the hallway. Most importantly however, she learned to tolerate everyone and never lash out regardless of how she was treated. The self control she exhibited regardless of the opposition that stood in her midst required a love and sense of self worth strong enough to keep her on her feet and motivate her to continue getting back up when she was knocked down.

When I was in high school, I can say that I was blessed enough to never have to endure treatment remotely as foul as Melba endured, however, the fact remains the same: Bullying (both emotional and physical) goes on every day. Particularly, I realized during my sophomore year of high school after reading “Warrior's Don't Cry” that just because I was not witnessing fights did not mean that bullying was not happening. Sadly enough, I didn't know what could be done about it either. Gossip and emotional bullying is so ingrained into human nature, that it's near impossible to stop it just by addressing it out loud. It's a classic situation of hearing your friend or someone talking about someone else and not wanting to speak up, or possibly even being interested in what's being said. After deciding I didn't think there was anything to be done for others, I would try and reform myself to set an example like Melba did. That was when all the lessons I'd heard in church about “loving your neighbor as yourself,” “treating others the way you want to be treated,” and “being salt and light for the earth” all really came together. I realized that all this time, I'd been told things like “having a heart for God by having a heart for people” but never let them soak into my personality or my being.

After my epiphany (cliche though it is), my outlook on life changed. When seeing a girl dressed in high heels, a short skirt and a low cut top walking down the halls, rather than immediately thinking “hoe,” I thought “what is it that she isn't getting emotionally that's making her turn instead to promiscuity?” I didn't think any lower of her, I thought “what can I do for her?” and I felt concern for her. When I saw a special needs student crying alone in the courtyard in between classes, instead of thinking “okay, she's obviously just got something wrong with her head,” I thought “I should ask her if everything's alright.” And I have to say, even though she didn't say much when I asked, just handing her a tissue made my day a whole lot brighter, and hopefully hers as well. I was shocked at the amount of emotional therapy caring for other people presented: Filling the “bottomless void” inside with love for God and other people.

It was such a revelation knowing that so many people were acting in contradiction to what they were feeling inside as a defense mechanism each and every day. So many people don't realize that a multitude of inner sufferings would come to an end if they learned to love each other. They paste a smile on their face and they throw themselves into desires of life, whether it be material goods, relationships, achievement, or whatever they use to temporarily make themselves happy. But it doesn't last, and the cycle for “filling the void” continues. I find it sad that the answer to the problem is something so simple, so close to home, and yet so many people reach out everywhere besides within to find the answer. The spirit in them doesn't see and honor the spirit in others. This lack of genuine concern for other people makes this world so much darker a place to live in than it could be. If we all realized love is the answer, other issues would dissipate. As the proverb by the Apostle Paul says: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It dose not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Loves does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Imagine with me now a world without impatience, rudeness, hubris, dishonor, greed, anger, grudges, evil, underhandedness, mistrust, and hopelessness. A world where every one loves one another... Tell me something more crucial to the advancement of the human spirit.