Cord Byrd: “The roses red upon my neighbor's vine Are owned by him, but they are also mine. His was the cost, and his the labor…”

“The roses red upon my neighbor's vine Are owned by him, but they are also mine. His was the cost, and his the labor, too, But mine as well as his the joy, their loveliness to view. They bloom for me and are for me as fair As for the man who gives them all his care. Thus I am rich because a good man grew A rose-clad vine for all his neighbors' view. I know from this that others plant for me, That what they own my joy may also be; So why be selfish when so much that's fine Is grown for me upon my neighbor's vine? The appreciation of a good neighbor is among the oldest, most cherished, and enduring of human values. It is a value that transcends both time and space. This value was vividly and eloquently expressed more than 2,000 years ago in the Bible which commands us in eight different passages to love our neighbors: Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8. In fact, this is one of the most repeated commands in the Scripture. In other passages, the Bible tells us how to treat our neighbors, Proverbs 25:17 and Romans 15:2; and in others warns us against mistreating our neighbors, Deuteronomy 19:14, Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 3:29. The appreciation of a good neighbor is also a value that knows no cultural or geographical boundaries. An old Chinese proverb, for example, maintains that ``a good neighbor is a found treasure.'' In the United States, towns and states celebrate Good Neighbor Days.…”