Love thy neighbor takes on a whole new meaning for me once it is put into action. Let me explain. Just a few days ago, coming in from work, I caught a light at the peak of rush hour. As I waited for the light to change, I saw a shabby, elderly man standing on the sidewalk and holding up a sign that read “Vietnam War veteran: hungry, need money.” My eyes instantly followed his appearance. His jacket and pants were torn, his beard was grey and freckled with dirt, and his toes hung out of his half-covered shoes. As I glanced at him, my heart felt for the man.

I understood that every beggar I saw could be looking for an easy way to get money to purchase alcoholic beverages, but what crossed my mind at that moment was that this individual is less fortunate than I, and I was going to do something about it. As soon as the light turned green, I rushed to the nearest fast food restaurant, bought a sandwich with large fries and a bottle of water, and headed back to where the man was. He was still there with no luck getting anyone’s attention.

I pulled up beside him, rolled my car window down, and called out to him. “This isn’t much, but it may help,” I said, as I extended the bag to him. The beggar gave me a strange look, but reluctantly reached out to take the bag filled with probably his only meal for the day. He was about to return to his post when he flashed me a smile and said, “God bless you.”

As I watched the man grow smaller in my rearview mirror, I realized that whether it be the beggar on the street, the neighbor whose son is a drug addict, a co-worker who seems to express tension because of work overload, or a church member who may be having spousal problems, they are neighbors we can extend a helping hand to. This could be an encouraging word, a smile, or even an outreach effort that was unexpected, but appreciated.

Love thy neighbor is not just a catch-phrase Jesus mentioned to a generation long ago; it is really the connection those words imply that truly matters. Let us remember that nothing is too big or too small to express a helping hand. What matters most, however, is the time taken to extend the helping hand.

Kimi-Roux James is 23 years old. She graduated in May 2005 from Ball State University and is an administrative assistant. Kimi-Roux attends the Capital City Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. She will receive a $100 scholarship because her article was selected for publication.