Crazy Love Week 3: Love Thy Neighbor

Most of us have hear the story of "The Good Samaritan" (Luke 10:25-37).  And most of us have learned that we shouldn't limit our concept of 'neighbor' to just those living directly beside us, rather we should broaden our understanding of 'neighbor' to all those we come in contact.  But what about our actual neighbors?  Those who live next door, across the way, or down the street?  I don't know about you, but I've been neglecting my neighbors.  Aside from the one directly to the north, I don't know anyone on my block -- and I've lived here for three years!

So when I started thinking about crazy love month, I couldn't help thinking. "How crazy would it be to just go over and introduce myself to the neighbors across the street?  They aren't new to the neighborhood and I don't want anything so who knows what they'll think. Maybe I'll bring some cookies or something to make it a little less awkward."  To some people this might sound like a ridiculously simple task.  But to others, this is stepping out, this is uncomfortable.  I fall into the latter camp.  As silly as it might sound to some of you, this is a challenge for me.  I have been praying for the family across the street for a while.  I don't know them, but we exchange waves occasionally.  And "you should go meet them" has been the nagging thought at the back of my mind.  So that is my challenge for the week.

I haven't quite figured out how meeting my neighbor equals love.  It's certainly not the self-sacrificing, out-of-my-way care we see the Samaritan give his fellow traveler.  But I think it's a step towards realizing that we are on the same road together and opening my eyes to the ways to love that family in the future.  And chances are each one of you have had that same nagging feeling, the need to take that first step to meet your neighbor.  For you it might be your physical next door neighbor, perhaps someone in the office/cubical down the hall, perhaps it's that barista you see every day whose name you really should know, or maybe it's even that family you sit next to in church.  So the challenge this week is to identify a neighbor in your life and be intensional about getting to know them.  I'd love to hear your stories and I'll definitely be sharing mine at the end of the week.