Who Is My Neighbor?

It's Monday morning. We've had a rough weekend but we keep moving forward. I drink my coffee as I scan the morning tweets.

@kenulman: Pls use the hashtag #hocounited & share your thoughts on why our community is strong & resilient. #HoCoMD

Flashback to Saturday, where I saw tweets like these:

@acarvin: Columbia Mall is our community refuge, gathering place. The local motto is "Choose Civility." One shooter can't change that. #ColumbiaStrong

@ColumbiaAssn: Our thoughts are with those affected by the tragedy at Columbia Mall. #PrayForColumbia

Columbia. Howard County. On some days we have an uneasy coexistence that rivals the town/gown relationship in places like New Haven/Yale where both sides warily eye the other for signs of disrespect. Hostility aside, many residents do not begin to understand the basic differences between what the Columbia Association does and what Howard County does.

Well, they say you really get to know who your friends are when times are tough. It is important to remember who we saw rushing in to help: Howard County Police and Fire Department first responders. Stepping up to the microphone to communicate and reassure: Howard County Government. They didn't come "from the outside" to help Columbia. This is every bit as much their jurisdiction as any other community in Howard County.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus is asked, "who is my neighbor?" After recounting a tale of a traveler attacked by thieves, he asks, "Now which of these three seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?" The response, "He who showed mercy on him."

This is what #hocounited means to me after this weekend. We need to understand how truly interconnected and interdependent we are. There are residents of Howard County who may not live in Columbia but still admire and respect the vision. There are residents of Columbia who are grateful for the support and services we enjoy because of Howard County.

This is the end of the blog post. But it's not the end of the parable. The parable ends with a challenge, "go and do likewise."

Show mercy. #hocounited

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