Live Love
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
People interpret the meaning of “neighbor” differently. Some take it to mean only proximity or close family. Others take it to mean anyone you come in contact with.
A good friend of mine (who happened to also live near me) introduced me to someone as her neighbor. I was somewhat offended by it at the time. “Why didn’t she introduce me as her good friend and not just a “neighbor,” I thought. But given her personality and her religious beliefs, I now know she meant “Neighbor” in the biblical sense of loving all and I know that I am very meaningful to her.
In today’s political climate, it is important to reach out in love. It is a very difficult thing to “turn your other cheek,” but it’s a struggle worth fighting to accomplish. Between the constant and reliant use of cell phones and social media, the increasing lack of in-person social interaction, politics severing ties with family and friends, and the lashing out of strong divisional beliefs, there is a constant state of anxiety and fear, growing hatred and intolerance.
There is middle ground. Something that shouldn’t be difficult, to meet halfway, yet those first few steps can be challenging. Take a deep breath and refrain from lashing out at those whose opinions differ from yours. The way to peace is to find harmony. Love conquers not by asking how they treated you, but how Jesus would treat them.
A neighborhood near me has adopted a practice of putting a lit neon heart in their front windows. It started with someone feeling down about the state of things during the pandemic and they wanted a way to connect with others, to show someone cared. Walking around this neighborhood and seeing all of the hearts is so uplifting. I encourage you to live love. In good and bad times. To love your neighbor- across whatever boundaries surround you, near and far.
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14)
