How Close Is Your Neighbor?

Mar 15th 2009

Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  This is the second greatest commandment for the followers of Jesus — second only to Love God with all your heart.  But here’s the question, “Who is my neighbor?”  I know that my neighbors are those who live on my block.  I think a good case could be made that my neighbor is anyone who is a part of the Calvary family.  How about anyone in Happy Valley?  I mean surely everyone in Happy Valley is my neighbor, right?  In fact it could go beyond HV.  Maybe I even have neighbors on Facebook?  Because what if geography doesn’t define neighbor.  Especially in today’s e-world.  So here is a thought that keeps going through my mind lately — Every child is my neighbor.

Love your neighbor like you love yourself.  Every child is my neighbor.  I mean if there were children in Happy Valley who were getting kicked out of their homes, I would help.  I would do what I could.  Probably even try to take a few into my own home.  Because our hearts go out to kids in need, regardless of their geography.

In the space of less than a month ~30 orphanages will have been closed in MM.  Hundreds of children will have no place to live, no food on the table, no one to be their neighbor.  All this because a government is afraid of losing control.   But we can still help.  We can pray.  We can give.

In a week or two I will share with you a way that we can help.  But meanwhile.  Pray, ask God to help us love our neighbors like we love ourselves.  Ask God to give us eyes to see… that every child is our neighbor.

The answer is, “Love Your neighbor like you love yourself.”   That’s what Jesus said.  The question is, “But who is my neighbor?”  That’s what the religious lawyer said — he was looking for a loophole.  So in the space between answer and question, Jesus told a story.  We call it the story of the good Samaritan.  It answers the question, “Who is my neighbor?” with a question, “Who is a good neighbor?”