“Being a good neighbor is an art that makes life richer.” Gladys Taber

Just about everyone that I speak to these days feels such a burden not just for this country, but the entire world. They say things like, “I don’t know how much longer we can go on like this.” Other times I’ve heard people express hatred and vitriol towards a certain person or political party. In some cases, even wishing harm on those that disagree. I cannot tell you how many times in my shock I’ve said, “That’s not my Jesus.” How did we get to this place as a people? The mindset of utter intolerance for varied opinions?  

A Theory Has Come to Mind

I have my theories, one is going to be kind of hard to take. It was for me. Before we get started, I understand that the church and organized religion has had its issues from the beginning. We are after all merely mortal. As with any institution there are issues. There will always be issues as long as we remain on this side of Heaven. But I am going to say this. The church has stopped (not all of them) doing its job. I am going to share with you a story. It is probably a familiar one to those who came up in the faith. It bears repeating to give us a lesson. 

We Must Love our Neighbors

There once was a man who knew everything about his faith. He knew so much that he fancied himself a saint. He saw a humble teacher who was proclaiming the tenets of faith. He thought, “I am going to trip up this teacher. We’ll see if his knowledge is very great.” The very smart man of faith asked the question. He said, “Tell me great teacher, how do I inherit eternal life?” The humble teacher looked over and said, “What do you think the answer is? Is this law written in your heart?” The great man of faith cleared his throat and said with great gusto. “I must love God with all of my heart and love my neighbor as myself.” “You have answered correctly,” the humble teacher said.

Who is my Neighbor?

But the great man full of faith wasn’t satisfied, the humble man didn’t give him praise. He puffed up his chest and raised his hand. “Well who is my neighbor really, this world has gotten too harsh. You never know who you can trust. They may have malice in their heart.” The humble teacher looked over with a small smile, “I want to tell you a story and you can decide. Who is the neighbor and who is the judge? There once was a man who had traveled quite far, he was tired from his journey. He had been working very hard. In the flash of a second some men came upon him, they robbed him and beat him and left him for dead. As he lay on the road in great pain, a high and mighty man of faith looked at him and walked on. A very wealthy teacher also sauntered by, he didn’t even stop to see if the poor man was alive.”

We must look out for one another

“Just when the injured man was about to give up, another man who was also weary from his journey walked right up. He kneeled down to check on the man. He was breathing! Thanks be to God. This man had very little money nor much to give, but he took pity in his heart for this poor man. He called an ambulance and the police. He accompanied the man to the hospital to make sure he received great care. After the man was stable and at rest, he left a little money in an envelope for the injured man. After that he went about his business and back to his life. Before he left he told the nurse if he needs anything else, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help.” After that story the great teacher of the faith looked at the humble teacher with tears streaming down his face. “Which do you think was the good neighbor, dear friend?” The great teacher, now humbled, said with great conviction. “The man that showed mercy.” The humble teacher smiled and said, “Yes. Go constantly and do the same.” 

Living a life like a Good Samaritan

Where was this story from? It is the story of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told in the book of Luke. At the end of the story I used the Amplified Bible’s translation of the last sentence. Go constantly and do the same, there is our example. Now, when I said earlier that the church has stopped being the church I meant it. We are just as guilty of judging opinions that are not the same as ours. We judge others who don’t share our same political beliefs. We’ve stopped checking on our neighbors. No matter who they are. 

We’ve Got to be the Church to others

We’ve got to be Jesus to others. That means in all areas of our lives. In our social media, our words, our deeds, how we purport ourselves to others. We are ambassadors of God. 2 Corinthians tells us:  “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” We are the reflection of Him in both word and deed. Last week, I wrote an article that said, “No matter who the next president is, Jesus is King.” Such a simple yet profound statement. The candidates that are before us are indeed flawed. But Jesus is King. God used many imperfect people to rule in ages past, we must look to Him and His example to bring us through this uncertain time. King David comes to mind. He used David the adulterer, the murderer, the liar, the list could go on of his life deeds. 

Always live a life of prayer

We must pray to be that good neighbor no matter who they are. Regardless of their socio-economic background, their faith, we must be about God’s business. This has been a hard lesson for me recently. I have very deeply held political beliefs. I’ve chosen to keep them close to my heart because of the many military children in our family. I’d rather practice faith any day than argue politics.  My hope is that we, the church, can return back to the tenets of the gospel and not those arguments festering so much in the world. You are all in my prayers, dear readers. Also, if you need a calming set of music, I highly recommend Tchaikovsky’s Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. It is positively angelic.