November 2nd, 2014 
dsisler
What a beautiful sky this morning we’ve had in Colorado! The sunrise was spectacular and looking west the clouds against the blue sky were pink. It has already been a great morning!
There’s more to celebrate today than just the beauty God created. Jesus is alive and today is a perfect day to honor and worship Him together with my brothers and sisters in Christ. I cannot wait! Can you?
Continuing with the Blogging A to Z challenge reposts, today you’ll read about neighbors. Enjoy!
Neighbor – Blogging from A to Z
Last Monday we were hit with a storm. It was called a “blizzard” and in some ways it was. There was little snow, but the winds that accompanied this storm were devastating. I wrote about this storm when the A to Z challenge letter was “H.” You can read about it here.
So during the storm last week, a portion of our fence blew down into the neighbor’s yard. The plan was to work on it over the weekend to repair the fence.
Fortunately, most of the fencing could be reused, so only two four-by-fours and some cement were needed for the repair job. As the weekend progressed, the two men worked side-by-side to complete the project. While there is still just a little more to do, the fence has been mended.
I’ve had some wonderful neighbors through the years and I’ve had some difficult ones. But the one thing that each of these people have in common is what my attitude toward them is to be.
Jesus spoke of how we are to treat our neighbors. We are to love them (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31). Regardless of how well we get along with them, we are to love them.
And then Jesus took it one step further. Our neighbor isn’t just the person or family to the right, left, or back of our homes. Our neighbor can be anyone we come in contact with.
Jesus’ example of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) gave us some guidelines. Our neighbor could be someone who hates us. Our neighbor could be someone who is different from us. Our neighbor could be someone who is in need. Our neighbor could be someone who doesn’t follow our religious beliefs.
Our neighbor could be and should be and must be anyone we encounter.
Jesus’ final words to those listening to the parable of the Good Samaritan were these. “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b – NIV)
We are called to love our neighbors, so what does loving your neighbor look like?
I’d like to suggest that we must tear down the fences.
In our American society, we tend to pull into our garages and close the door. We never see our neighbors in the front yards and certainly we cannot see them in our back yards because our fences are built for privacy. But does that build community? Perhaps we need to break down the physical barriers so that we can get to know our neighbors.
I’ve found with some of my neighbors there is also a cultural and language barrier. I cannot speak their language and they cannot speak mine. A smile or a wave is about all I can do. But is it enough? There must be a way to break down these social barriers so that I can love my neighbors.
I attend a large church and they’ve divided our area into neighborhoods and have placed a minister over each section. These pastors are meeting with those connected with the church and working out ways to break down some of the barriers in each neighborhood to reach others for Christ. Sounds like a great plan doesn’t it?
I spent some time yesterday speaking with my Neighborhood Pastor. It was a good visit and yet there are many questions still unanswered. But with get-togethers being planned, we are at least working toward the goal of loving our neighbors.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:38b – NIV) How are you loving your neighbor? I’d love to hear about it.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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