LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

How many of us say we are Christian or have Christian values yet don't love our neighbors? I have found myself asking myself that question recently. What does it mean to love your neighbor? Who is my neighbor? I can only tell you one of my neighbor's names and I have lived here nine years. That is not good. I find that I haven't done this very well.

I say I'm a follower of Jesus but when He was asked about fulfilling the law in his day he replied; "Love the lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself and you'll fulfill all of the law."

When Jesus was asked "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He replied with the story about the Good Samaritan and said "Go and do likewise", calling him the good neighbor. I think most of would say we love everybody, yet in loving everyone we really don't love many at all. We have Good Samaritan values and we really don't even know our neighbors.

I think at least for me loving my neighbor is confusing. with maybe mixed ideas about what it means to love. How about we say just being nice? If we only tried that would it make a difference?

I have a friend who purposed to get to know those who live in front, back alongside etc by hosting barbecues in the summer, was just plane ole nice to them, and as a result developed relationships meeting one another needs. Most of these were people who never wanted anything to do with quote Christianity. I think Jesus might have had some idea what he was doing when he told us to love our neighbors. Just think what community might develop or what growth might take place if everyone just got to know the four people around us? What would our world look like then?