HELLO MI neighbour! The ability to be neighbourly is one of the most important gifts God has bestowed on mankind. When used consistently, not only do we pay homage to Him, but prosperous, harmonious, hospitable and compassionate societies are created and sustained.

Why would a gas station attendant pump $2,500 worth of petrol into the empty gas tank of a stranger (who forgot his money at home) and say to him "I trust you, pay another day"? Neighbourliness was evident last Saturday evening when I turned up at the gas station in Portmore only to discover that I left my money at home. Odane, the attendant, recognising my plight offered to let me have the gas and pay later. And remember, we were seeing each other for the first time.

Trustworthy

This spirit of neighbourliness enables us to be more trusting and trustworthy. The world has come to recognise that those who show kindness to their neighbours always have someone looking out for them in return. This is called the immutable law of giving and receiving or sowing and reaping. For more than three years, this writer has been using this column to inspire and display acts of kindness. Any wonder such an act of kindness was shown to him? I am humbled by the experience.

Kind-hearted persons will always have good things coming their way, while for the mean-hearted, the only good which comes their way on a daily basis is the air they breathe. Debatable? Time will tell ... The unseen world controls what happens in the natural world. We cannot touch kindness with our hands or see it with the natural eyes, but it opens up the reservoirs of goodness to those who show it anywhere in this world. On the other hand, acts of wickedness will slam doors in your face.

Innocent acts of wickedness

Acts of wickedness are some of those everyday things that people do and think nothing of. It's deliberately hacking the name of a co-worker, undermining a neighbour and attempting to destroy his or her reputation etc. So when the 'wicked' falls in a ditch and thinks that it's because someone is 'burning bad lamp for him or her', it's simply those apparently innocent acts of wickedness that are bearing fruit. I pass no judgement, but we create our own misfortune or predicament by dishing out acts of wickedness to others.

You cannot go wrong with expressions of neighbourliness. Neighbourliness is adjusting the volume to allow your neighbour a peaceful night's rest. It's 'wearing your neighbour's shoes for a day'. It is reprimanding those who slaughter the names of others etc.

Here is the conclusion of the matter: life gives us choices - to do good or evil. The good we do lives after us. The evil we do tends to follow us through life. Why not do good that good may follow us as well as those who follow us?

Take care of someone from the list below and good will follow you. Follow?

Thanks for helping:

1. Everybody's Pharmacy, for help with back-to-school supplies.

2. Myrna, St Andrew, for clothing for six-year-old boy and a female adult.

3. Annette, St Ann, for offering an Oxford dictionary to needy student

4. Alice, St Mary, for offering accommodation to mature female adult.

5. Andrene, St Andrew, for offering to assist a 17-year-old student who has no home.

Great opportunities to help:

Neighbour, mother of five needs school shoes for five-year-old boy and seven year-old girl ... and church clothing.

Neighbour, single mother asking neighbours for a stove.

Neighbour, St Andrew, single mother - needs a bed and a dresser for children.

Maxine, St Catherine, mother of boy - 17 and girls 15 and 17 is asking neighbours for clothing for them.

Margaret, St Mary, in need of a stove, television, dresser.

Juliet, Clarendon, asking neighbours for size-18 khaki and sizes eight and seven and a half black shoes for school.

Neighbour, grandmother with disability needs a serger to help generate an income for her grandchildren's schooling.

To help, please call 334-8165, 884-3866, 299-3412 or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB. (Bank routing #: JNCBJMKX) or send donations to Hello Neighbour C/o 53 Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; email helloneighbour@yahoo.com.