Posts Tagged ‘neighbors’

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5;14 (NKJV)

Mr. Rogers loved his neighbors, right? There are limitless ways to love our neighbors.

It seems that the church has gone to great lengths to (rightly) teach that our “neighbors” are not just those people who live next door. They are the widow and the orphan. The poor, the lost, the brother in trouble. Today we are even reminded that we have “unborn neighbors” that we are to care for and about.

Clearly, the Good Samaritan did not know the man from Jerusalem who had been robbed and wounded. But he had compassion on him and helped him. He paid for a room in an inn so he could heal from his wounds and came back to see if there were unforeseen charges for the man (Luke 10:25-37).

In the world we live in it has become easy to send money to many causes that will do the “loving” for us. Though the Good Samaritan was willing to pay for this Jewish man’s help (Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other day–to-day), it started with one to one contact. He physically saw the need and first took care of him himself.

“So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” Luke 10:34 (NKJV)

Apparently, this Samaritan was on a regular path. He knew he would be coming back by the inn.

How well do you and I love our neighbors? Our actual, next-door  neighbors? It sometimes seems as though we are so conditioned to make sure we see the bigger picture of who our neighbors are that we have forgotten those we pass, wave to, and greet regularly.

Do they know we are Christians? Do we know their needs? Are we willing to “bandage their wounds,” “pour out our oil and wine,” go out of our way to provide for them or even spend some money to help them?

I am all for loving our neighbors who do not live next door. I want to do all I can to protect and rescue the unborn neighbors who are being killed in the womb. But recently, the people who live in close proximity have become more obvious to me. Have we forgotten them?

This is a place we need to be intentional. In our world, sitting at our computers in our yoga pants when we are home is easy. It takes effort to minister to those we do not know well, but should be getting to know.

Our next-door neighbors are in our closest sphere of influence. Do they see Christ in us or do they just see us going into our homes and shutting the door? How can we get to know our neighbors and, like Mr. Rogers, make some “beautiful days in the neighborhood?”