neighbors

I’ve realized I’m not always very good at something. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not down on myself. I am instead wrestling with the realization that there is something I passionately desire to always do well, and yet, I routinely fail in its application…

What’s the greatest commandment? What are we each most called to?
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
And the second?
Love your neighbor as yourself.

I get that we are not all adherents to historical scripture. My sense is we are each responsible for how we respond to such. What strikes me, no less, is even for those among us who choose not to embrace the teaching, so much of what’s there we still tend to believe… (i.e. thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, etc. etc…) Each of us embraces some aspect of the scriptures, even if unintendedly so.

What I wrestle with this day is the concept of “loving my neighbor as myself.” I then think of two questions…

First, who exactly is our “neighbor”?

I don’t think it’s a stretch to extend our “neighbor” well beyond the isolating definition of simply the person who physically lives next door. The idea seems more that it’s someone nearby, not living in our specific household, who thus may not share the same circumstances, lifestyle, or beliefs that we have embraced. That makes sense to me. Therefore, our neighbor seems more encompassing of all people. Such leads me to question #2…

What’s our consistency like?

We seem to live in a day and age when we are encouraged to only embrace the likeminded… to only love and respect those who think and act like we do…

We are encouraged to identify all sorts of person as our adversaries, enemies, and opposition. And every time we engage in such a discourse — falling prey to such a seductive lingo — we justify labeling a person or people group as something other than a “neighbor.” If they aren’t a “neighbor,” then we don’t have to love them.

Note that at the 2nd most recent presidential debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper said the following:

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said, ‘I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.’ You’ve all made a few people upset over your political careers, which enemy are you most proud of?”

With no candidate suggesting the answer was a radical terrorist group (which truly desires to take our heads off and thus seems to actually qualify), let us not find too much fault in any one candidate; it was a foolish question. No person — simply because they do not share your political or other core beliefs — is thus your “enemy.”

Yes, even the intelligent justify the inconsistency.

But still don’t let me pick on either the candidates or the questioner; my realization this day is I am not much better…

Too many times I have muttered something mean or sarcastic under my breath when exposed to a seemingly stupid statement… too many times I have thought the worst when a slow car has pulled right out in front of me… and too many times I have been disrespectfully steaming, furious at a Facebook or Twitter rant that has seemed so incredibly frustrating. Sometimes I’ve even ranted right back — loud enough for others to see and hear!

It’s not always what I’ve said; it’s sometimes what I’ve thought.

If we are going to “love my neighbor,” so-to-speak, we must quit justifying our disrespectful responses. Discussion and dialogue surrounding tense topics is fine. Disagreement is totally acceptable. But the allowing of differences of opinion to evolve into disdain of one another is where we totally fail in in loving our neighbor well.

Always wishing for something better and more… respectfully…
AR