Principal's Ponderings

Who Is My Neighbour?

“'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27 (NIV)

One of the most known questions ever asked of Jesus was this: “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29). It was not just a question, it was a challenge. A religious expert was trying to draw the line. Define the boundaries. Who do I have to love? Who is “in,” and who is “out”?

Jesus did not respond with a definition. He told a story. A story that turned expectations upside down.

A man was beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest passed by, as did a Levite. But then, a Samaritan, someone who was culturally despised by Jesus’ audience, stopped. He had compassion. He bandaged the man’s wounds, put him on his donkey, took him to safety and paid for his care. And then Jesus turned the question back: “Which of these was a neighbour to the man?” The answer was clear: “The one who had mercy on him.”

And then came the words that still echo to us today: “Go and do likewise.”

At our school, we talk a lot about kindness, compassion and community. But the truth is, loving our neighbour often stretches us beyond what is comfortable. Our “neighbour” is not just the person we naturally like, the friend who makes us laugh, or the parent who always says thank you to a teacher. Our neighbour is also the person who tests our patience, who holds a different opinion, who needs our help but cannot return the favour.

Jesus does not ask us to love perfectly but He does call us to love courageously. It could be something as simple as sitting with someone who is alone. Being the first to say sorry. Lending a hand without expecting recognition. Listening deeply to someone’s story. These acts, small as they may seem, reflect the love of Christ in a profound way.

And here is the beautiful truth: every time we choose love, we are answering that ancient question with our lives, ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Everyone. Every single person made in the image of God.

This week, as we move through school routines and daily life, let us lift our eyes and look around. 

Is there someone who needs a word of encouragement? A kind gesture? A helping hand? 

The call to love our neighbour is not about grand gestures; it is about being present, seeing people, and letting Jesus’ love overflow from us.

Let’s be a school community that takes this seriously, where children, families, and staff know they are seen, valued, and loved. Let us be the kind of neighbours who bring light into every corner of our playgrounds, classrooms, and staff rooms.

Try This at Home:

• Ask your children, “Who did you show kindness to today?”

• Invite someone new over for dinner or a playdate.

• Send a note of encouragement to a family or a DCS Team member.

• Pray as a family: “Lord, help us see our neighbours today.”

Let’s go and do likewise.

Shalom shalom,

Chad Smit