Won't you be my neighbor....

Let each of us please our neighbors for their good, to help them be stronger in faith. (Romans 15:2)

Our neighbor is really any other human being in close proximity to us. During the pandemic, many of us did not really make much contact with our 'neighbors'. We were living like 'shut-ins' and some of us even lost contact with the 'human race' except through things like Zoom or Skype calls. The things we may have 'endured' during the pandemic may just have contributed to a few of our 'neighbors' losing contact with us and vice versa. The loss of contact has actually made us a bit 'weaker' - as each of us really strengthens the other.

"The impersonal hand of government can never replace the helping hand of a neighbor." (Hubert H. Humphrey) Take this idea one step further and you might say we became a bit more 'impersonal' in the age of the pandemic. We lost that 'helping hand' of neighbors. Remember, we aren't just neighbors with the people who live next door or on the next farm. We are neighbors with all who we come into close proximity to throughout our day. Do you see an older woman struggling to get her groceries into the car, or up the sidewalk and into her home? Be a neighbor. Do you observe a lad struggling to understand his history assignment? Be a neighbor. 

Neighborly actions are not just kind, they are needed. As our passage implies - they actually build us up in our faith. We are building each other up with every action we take to help a neighbor, regardless of their need. Perhaps one of the greatest needs to come out of this pandemic is learning how to be there for each other again. Horace reminds us, "Your own safety is at stake when your neighbor's wall is ablaze." Ever avoid someone because you know their life is falling apart right now? Their 'wall is ablaze' and you just don't want to get into all the mess. You may not realize just how much your own 'wall' is at risk when you neglect your neighbor in his time of need. Just sayin!

Reach THAT one

Ever feel like you could do a little more in your community, or to help some world mission? The disasters that hit far off places seem to be never-ending, causing us to be always bombarded by opportunities to get involved. In the times of Jesus' ministry on this earth, things were quite similar - if not in the form of 'natural disaster', then in the form of persecution and oppression from kings of quite unfriendly kingdoms. The twelve disciples were being trained to "do" the ministry of serving those they were surrounded by - those in their immediate focus and influence. The simple instructions of Jesus speak volumes - "Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place..." He was focusing them on the immediate needs of those in the communities in which they lived and did business. People with indecision and confusion in their lives who simply need a helping hand to sort things out - help them. People with the need to know that Christ is here - now - in this very moment with the answer to their life challenge - help them meet him.

"Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously." (Matthew 10:5-8)

World mission are quite important, but never lose sight of our calling to be involved in the lives of those in our immediate reach. These may be our neighbors, our work-mates, or our community leaders. Right now, the budget "wars" are raging in our national capital, walls are supposed to be built to keep out immigrants, and things just seem to be constantly in a state of upset. Leaders are pitted against each other, often taking a stand on one side of the issue, sometimes without any respect for the other side's perspective. In fact, our local media is probably playing this "battle of the budget" to the max - encouraging us to call our leaders and complain vehemently that they settle the budget issues and move on to more important business. This is exactly the type of thing where we need to be "light" in a rather dark place - the regular stuff of life that just mounts to catastrophic proportions without much effort! The disciples were being called to be concerned with the confusion and unrest in their neighbors' lives - to be light in their darkness. They were encouraged to be involved in the lives of their neighbors - rather than looking beyond them to only the needs of others in far off regions. It seems that we have lost sight of that today. We are surrounded by all kinds of hurting, confused, and destitute people - right here in our own backyards (maybe in our own families).

Simple instructions can be the most difficult to follow! Somehow we read more into them than we see there. We just cannot believe that the instructions can be that simple - so we create more complex ones in our minds that we "believe" to be true. We cannot look beyond the simplicity of what Jesus tells us to do, though. He is quite simple in his instructions and we need to be a 'simple' in our belief and actions as he asks us to be! Go to the lost, confused people - those who have missed the way, are bewildered by life's circumstances, not sure of what direction to take next. These are the ones who may not have made good use of past opportunities and now live with all kinds of regret. These are our neighbors - look around you and you will see them everywhere. Bring health to the sick - we often think of these as those who have been affected by physical disease alone, but I challenge us to look beyond the physical to see spiritual, emotional, and relational "disease", as well. There are people all around us who have been affected by some unpleasantness that has left them with deep sorrow, plaguing their peace and stealing away their joy. To these, Jesus says to bring them health. Soundness of mind, freedom from what ails them.

Touch the untouchables - he was never afraid to reach out to the lepers and those who others considered "unclean". We think of these as those who society rejected - making them untouchable. Jesus encourages us to bring the touch of healing into their lives once again. Kick out the demons - there are very real evil spirits that exist in our world today. We indeed have been given the authority over them. But, I want us to look beyond what we believe to be "demons" to what also has "demon-like" power in a person's life. Those are the things that exert influence, or undo passion, in a person's life that keeps them bound by some measure of evil influence. It could be the "demon" of unforgiveness - we need to bring the ministry of reconciliation. It could be the "demon" of sexual violation - we need to bring the ministry of restoration and cleansing. It could be the "demon" of addiction of any sort - we need to bring the ministry of wholeness and healing. Yep, we need to see the entire world as our "mission field", but we cannot neglect our own backyard in the process! To whom is Jesus calling you to bring the ministry of hope, reconciliation, or restoration today? To that one, be faithful to reach out! Just sayin!

Hey neighbor!

At jury duty this week, I got to see a whole lot of people I'd not encounter normally, yet all of them were in one form or another my "neighbors".  They did not live in the exact same community as me.  Yet, we had some things in common - we all lived in the areas where jurors were chosen!  One of the prospective jurors shared how a rental home in her neighborhood was discovered to be robbed that morning.  They actually noticed the garage door standing open on a totally vacant rental.  What made this catch my interest more than anything was that this woman knew who to call to inform about the possible burglary!  Admit it - most of us would be hard pressed to actually give the first and last names of our neighbors, much less knowing how to reach them in an emergency!

When I use the term "neighbor", what comes to mind is probably the person who lives next door, or at least in your immediate neighborhood.  I have lots of "neighbors" - those who live in my immediate neighborhood - but I have very few "friends" in my neighborhood.  They are more of acquaintances rather than friends.  The difference is in the "closeness" we form in our hearts.  When I call someone "friend", I am doing so because I associate with them frequently and their is an alliance formed which cannot be easily broken.  Did you know there were a whole bunch of commands in the Bible which even deals with the way we treat our neighbors?  Some tell us not to take their stuff, others warn us against becoming attached to those who will take us down wrong paths.  One tells us something "about" our neighbors which I'd like to focus on this morning.  

Don’t plot harm against your neighbor, for those who live nearby trust you.  (Proverbs 3:29 NLT)

In the most literal sense, Solomon uses the term "neighbor" as those who live in our "neighborhood".  These are not the close friends who we form alliances with, but those who we probably see as more of our acquaintances.  The word to us is to take action on our part to avoid "plotting" against them because even our acquaintances "trust" us.  Did you ever stop to consider this?  Our "neighborhood" is filled with people who "trust" us.  Now, I don't know about you, but "trust" is a strong word for me.  It implies there is a reliance upon us.  I don't have a homeowner's association in my neighborhood, but I imagine this is the basis of the founding of such a group - reliance upon each other to adhere to the agreed upon terms of the "neighborhood".  I am sure many of us have heard stories of how these "associations" take on a life of their own, policing the neighborhood for the slightest infraction to the rules established.  This is not likely what Solomon had in mind here.

The command is for you and I to not plot harm against our neighbor.  To plot means to have some secret plan or scheme to accomplish some purpose (often evil) against someone.  Most of us will immediately reply with a defensive, "I would NEVER do that..."  Yet, if we were honest, we'd probably reconsider just how much "plotting" we actually do!  Let me challenge you to think about this a little differently.  Instead of just considering our neighbor as the guy next door, or down the street, let's begin to consider the various "neighborhoods" where we have "neighbors".  Isn't our work environment a kind of "neighborhood"?  We spend something like 8-9 hours a day, 5 days a week with these people - I think this brings us in close proximity with them frequently enough to consider these individuals our "neighbors".  What about our other "frequented" places - like church, community agencies where we volunteer, or even our local pet shelter?  Are these our neighbors?  You bet!

So, we have more than ample opportunity to do a little "plotting" in these various neighbor encounters, don't we?  I have to ask - have you ever been so annoyed by something someone was doing so as to form some kind of anger (regardless of how small that anger was) toward that individual?  Perhaps they constantly fill their trash barrel to overflowing, causing parts and pieces to fly off and onto the roadway as the trash truck comes to pick it up.  By the time you get home, the neighbor's "overflowing" trash is now blown into your yard.  The first time you pick it up.  By the thirteenth time, are you as willing to pick it up as you were the first?  Probably not - because it begins to grate on you a little.  Why?  You see your neighbor's behavior as inconsiderate, lackadaisical  or just plain rude.  So, you begin to "plot" - not so much to do "evil" against them, but to point out their "fault" of being too over-zealous in filling their trash barrel!  I have heard stories of people receiving letters from their associations about the door color not being "true" to the agreed upon color palette, or being "fined" for having the springtime weeds popping through their gravel in the front yard.  Folks...I think we have missed the point! 

The fact is, people trust us.  We are living and breathing testimonies of God's grace, but we don't always display this grace, do we?  We become so consumed with finding fault with our neighbor, we miss the point they are actually our "neighbors"!  I wonder what a different place it would be if we actually began to consider how our neighbor's trust is impacted by our behavior.  It is likely we might actually ask our neighbor with the overflowing trash barrel if they'd like to use the spare space in ours since their family seems to produce more trash than they can easily fit in their own.  Or perhaps we might stop to find out if our neighbor has been away, feeling ill, or with some other demands which have kept them from being able to keep the weeds down in the front.  

I wonder what our world would be like if we actually got to know our neighbors a little.  Maybe we'd be less likely to "plot against" and more apt to "form alliances" if we took a little time to do so.  Just sayin!