Christian Circuit Judge Andrew Self, the keynote speaker Thursday morning for the 51st annual Unity Breakfast, shared a familiar biblical lesson that answers the question, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus, responding to that question from a lawyer, shared the Parable of the Good Samaritan, who found a stranger beaten, robbed and near death — and despite not knowing anything about the man, tended to his wounds and took him to an inn to heal.
Self asked the audience to consider why we don’t know anything about the beaten man.
The reason, he said, is because Jesus never revealed anything about the man beyond the fact that he was beaten, left for dead and was ignored by others until the Good Samaritan came along.
“When it comes to loving your neighbor, according to Jesus, it doesn’t matter what the other person’s race or ethnicity is,” said Self “It doesn’t matter whether the other person is your religion or a different religion or no religion. It doesn’t matter if the other person is young or old, rich or poor. It doesn’t matter what the other person’s politics are, or social views are. It doesn’t even matter if the other person is a good person or a bad person — or even a criminal.
“Here is the point, here is the only point that I wish to share with you this morning: Loving your neighbor, according to Jesus, has absolutely nothing to do with who the other person is and everything to do with who you are.”
Approximately 575 people attended the Unity Breakfast, the Hopkinsville-Christian County Human Rights Commission’s annual gathering and awards ceremony, at the James E. Bruce Convention Center.
The awards presented were:
Hal and Bettye Thurmond
The Hal and Bettye Thurmond Award — named for the Hopkinsville couple who helped desegregate Hopkinsville restaurants, schools and other areas of the community in the 1950s and ‘60s — was presented to Dr. Jeff Riggs and Campanile Productions, a community theater group.
“We just want to be a microcosm of what our community can do when you take your talents and work together … to make something bigger than yourself,” Riggs said as he accepted the award.
Volunteer of the Year
The Volunteer of the Year went to Lisa McGee, who was recognized for establishing a girls’ mentoring program while working for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Standard of Excellence
The Standard Award of Excellence — named for Bernard Standard, the former executive director of the Human Relations Commission — was award posthumously to Brandon Oldham, who died following a motorcycle accident in September. A banker and civic leader, he served on the Local Development Corp. and was a deacon at Virginia Street Baptist Church. His father, Leon Oldham, accepted the award and thanked community members for numerous expressions of love for his son.
Unity Awards
The Mayor of Hopkinsville’s Unity Award was presented to the Aaron McNeil House, a crisis relief agency and food pantry.
The Mayor of Oak Grove’s Unity Award went to Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel.
The Christian County Judge-Executive’s Unity Award was awarded to Carrie Caples, who was recognized for leadership and mentorship in several roles with Christian County Public Schools.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
