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Articles
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| Love Thy Neighbor |
By Jeff Crone
Life is short, put love first. I read at one of my favorite restaurants, “life is short, eat dessert first.” Now that’s an unorthodox quote. Love for something sweet and delicious is quite different than love for your neighbor, even I know we can all surely attest to that. This is a subject that can stir up a hornet’s nest for some of you while confirming for others who truly practice it, that peaceful co-existence is well worth the effort.
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During one of my years in Bible College I remember a Christian Instructor who confessed to our class that of all the godly Christian principles taught in the Bible, “loving thy neighbor as thyself” was the one principle he truly had a problem with, and not just a problem but a big problem. How are you supposed to love someone you don’t even know?
Jesus taught this important principle to his Jewish disciples via the story of the good Samaritan. During this specific time in history the Jewish people quite literally despised Samaritans and yet it was the story of a Samaritan who assisted a Jew who was beaten, robbed and left to die that was used to illustrate what it meant to love your neighbor. Someone who had no reason whatsoever to help someone else and probably also knew he was someone who, probably hated him. Despite the obvious cultural barrier the Samaritan helped the Jew out anyway and even went the extra mile to ensure he was cared for afterwards. It’s a powerful illustration of someone loving someone who wasn’t even known by the other, and someone who was even hated by the other person’s race as well!
Today we can compare this story to ironic hillbilly Hatfield’s and Macoy’s feud where bad blood between two families has existed over many generations. History tells us these were once close neighbors but today are bitter enemies. As a youth growing up on the reservation we too had our family feuds but in the end we all shook hands and decided to forgive and live with each other in peace. Unfortunately I don’t see the next generation being so forgiving and reconcilable. It’s an unfortunate downward societal trend.
No doubt for some it will be a tall order to love your neighbor while for others it’s the most natural thing to do. I think about the older TV sitcoms when someone new would move into the neighborhood and a kindly neighbor would bring a pie or cake as a good neighborly welcome gesture (whatever happened to those good old days?).
Today it’s quite different. When I travel to other places I see tall fences, even cement walls and large gates that separate neighbors. Back in my day, if you wanted to, you could jump over your neighbor’s fence, today it’s a tall climb.
Unfortunately in today’s world it’s every man for himself, or when unfortunate things happen to others the thought is, better them than me. Not only is that unfortunate but it’s also wrong. The Creator did not give us life to segregate and isolate each other. We were created to be social creatures and in a very real sense we need each other to flourish and bloom just as surely as the earth needs its rain to produce its life and grow to abundance. As rain is to the earth love is the important ingredient that helps us blossom.
Love helps us to get along with each other. Most mothers may tell you they will love their children no matter what and that they will go to the ends of the earth and stand by them to the bitter end, even if they are wrong in their behavior. That’s unconditional love the type of thing Jesus taught to His disciples in the story of “good Samaritan”.
Surely there is someone out there struggling with an unruly neighbor or perhaps you are that unruly neighbor? Whatever the case most will agree its better to coexist peacefully rather than constantly going back and forth avenging, retaliating, getting even, getting revenge again, etc. Life is just too short to waste it in that fretful and frustrating mode. It’s better to, “love thy neighbor as thy self.” In the Bible it’s not a mere suggestion, rather it is a commandment. Try it, take that vital first step and reach out in forgiveness. In the long run you will find peaceful co-existence is better all the way around for everyone.
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Posted on Jun 16, 2010 19:07pm by admin
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