I am grateful for my neighbors. One day while power washing my porch, the power washer quit working. So I called my neighbor to borrow his power washer. He promptly said yes and brought it over. Because of his kindness, I was able to finish power washing the porch!
There is a story in the Bible in Luke 10:25-37 about a Samaritan being a good neighbor. This Samaritan was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and came upon a man lying in the road, beaten by robbers, stripped of his clothing and left to die. Prior to the Samaritan finding the man, a priest and then a Levite came upon the man and kept walking past him. However, the Samaritan stopped. Kneeling beside the man, he began bandaging his wounds and placing him on his donkey, he brought him to an inn. While paying the innkeeper, he told him he would return and reimburse him for any extra expenses.
This parable asks the question, “which of these three was a neighbor to the man who fell to the hands of robbers?”
As I reflect on this story, we see the Samaritan took pity on the man. He was a presence of compassion and love. He took time to slow down and tend to the needs of a wounded man. He chose to give of his income to the innkeeper so the inn keeper would not feel cheated and so the man might find rest and healing at the inn.
This is what it means to be a neighbor. This is love. Love that comes from a heart that is right with God. We are instructed in Matthew 22:39 to ‘love our neighbor as ourself’.
Our neighbor is anyone we come into contact with – those who live next door, people we meet in the store, in the airport, even our coworkers.
As you walk through your week, be praying for God to show you how to be a neighbor. Do not be afraid to be Jesus to others. Do not be afraid to LOVE. Your presence and your compassion are the love your neighbor needs.
Be a neighbor today!
Chaplain Val
