Who is your neighbor? The crazy cat lady? The guy who mows the yard in his underwear? (Does that only happen to me?)
When I first read Mark 12:31 and it told me to love my neighbor, I just assumed those words literally meant I just had to love the cat lady and the half naked guy. I was wrong.
I’m not simply required to love those within 500 feet of me. I’m required to love everyone.
Everyone is our neighbor.
That means the difficult, different, or dangerous people in our lives. Yeah, we have to love them. I mean, I guess we don’t have to, but Jesus said this commandment was as equally as important as number one, which is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. So it makes sense that we would desire to want to love our neighbors as much as we love the God who created us.
Honestly, there are days I don’t feel like loving people, especially those I don’t understand. I’m often convinced the world would be a better place if people would think like me. I’ll tell you this. If they did, Algebra, cottage cheese, and high heels wouldn’t exist.
What does loving my neighbor look like?
First, let’s look at what the word love means. To love includes affection, tenderness, compassion, warmth. So, maybe don’t go buy the cat lady some food to feed her flock and enable her to adopt five more, but drop by her house and offer her your friendship.
You most likely want to bring the guy on the lawn mower a shirt. Instead, bring him a sandwich and a glass of lemonade. You may just get your own lawn mowed out of the deal, just sayin’.
What if we passed out bottled water at the gay pride parade instead of holding up picket signs?
Don’t think you can only love your neighbor if you agree on everything.
Again, I’d assume not watch you eat cottage cheese, but it doesn’t mean I won’t take you out to lunch. If you’re a Republican, take a Democrat out to lunch. I promise the place won’t burn down if a Catholic has coffee with a Baptist.
If you’re a Christian, hang out with those who aren’t. They put their pants on the same way as you do.
Jesus met a woman at a well once who barely had enough fingers to count the number of men he had been with. He didn’t run from her. He offered her love. She was different and difficult. And according to the rules, He wasn’t even supposed to be seen talking to a woman, much less a Samaritan woman. She was dangerous and He embraced her anyway. (See John 4)
Who have you embraced lately? Are you loving your “safe” neighbors, or embracing the difficult, different, and dangerous?
Go and be different. You won’t regret it.