Love Thy Neighbor

“Some neighbors are easier to love than others.” There’s a good chance that those words would have escaped my mouth if I were present when Jesus gave the two Great Commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It wouldn’t have been my proudest moment, but it would have been an honest one.

Our street.

We love the street we live on and the neighborhood that surrounds us. We have some wonderful neighbors, who live next door and across the street. We even love the close proximity of urban living. However, there is that one house on the block, which sits across the street and two doors down. It’s a rental. There are parties four or five nights a week, which spill onto our street around 3 a.m. with loud talking and occasional fighting. There are people stopping by throughout the day to buy marijuana. The police usually end up being called several times a month. Some neighbors are easier to love than others.

Yes, I’ve called the police…numerous times. Yes, I’ve spoken with my other neighbors about what we could possibly do to remedy the situation. Yes, I’ve silently hoped for an eviction notice. Yes, yes, yes. To be honest, the police are aware of the situation and have an officer on the case, but have not solved the problem. My neighbors yearn for this family to just pack their bags and get out.

Our Neighbor, Julie

Then there is Julie. Julie is a social worker for the county, and lives directly next door to the problem house. Julie is a Christian. On the way back from the bus stop a couple of months ago, Julie told me of her efforts to talk to this family. She is the only person I know, who has actually gone to the family and talked with them face-to-face. She’s the only neighbor that I’m aware of, who has invited this family into her home. And, although change doesn’t happen immediately, Julie has chosen to engage the situation in a direct, honest, hospitable, loving way. As we spoke that morning, I was convicted.

I began to ask myself what it means to love this family. It seems passive-aggressive to talk with everyone on my street but them. It seems futile to wait for the police to “fix the problem.” What does love even look like in this situation? How do I look out for the best interests of my family and other neighbors, yet still love this family? The short answer is, “I don’t know.” What I do know is that in the Gospels I see Jesus loving the “unlovable”  – a Samaritan woman, a leper, a tax collector, etc., etc.

Loving my neighbor is sometimes complex. Loving my neighbor can make me uncomfortable. Loving my neighbor will cause me to risk. Loving my neighbor moves me beyond myself and what I am capable of on my own. Loving my neighbor calls me to be as wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove. Loving my neighbor is for all my neighbors, and not just the easy ones.

Of course, in the economy of God, the definition of neighbor extends well beyond the people on my street. And, there are times when I am called to move into those situations that are farther from my home. However, I find that I don’t have to look far for opportunities to partner with God in his kingdom work among my neighbors. It often takes little more than walking out my front door.