Love your neighbor

Love your neighbor, a simple statement not overly complex and rarely misunderstood. Love your neighbor is even explained with a parable to help us understand who our neighbor is, the person we have the opportunity to help out. While this statement is simple and actually easy to understand it is not usually followed.

Hate your neighbor now that is the idea that is followed. Cause your neighbor problems and create pain in their lives. Why is that one so easy to accomplish while “love your neighbor” which is generally agreed is the only solution to the vast array of issues we face is so hard?

Love those who hate you and spitefully use you is the problem. We are fine with loving those who love us. We are fine with loving those who are generally approving of us but loving those who hate us is going just a little too far.

Jesus framed this statement in a land under foreign occupation. The foreign country was Rome who was not known for their love and consideration for those over whom they ruled. Yet even under these times and rulers Jesus still directed people to love their neighbors.

So in our day where issues abound and people are surrounded by a vast swirling shift in information of varying probabilities of reliability, what do we have to hold onto? Love your neighbor comes to mind. Start with one idea. Even if you disagree with someone do not seek their harm. If you are at odds with someone’s opinion or position at work or even politics seek to work with them and not against them.

Will this be easy? No. And that is why it is rarely done. We prefer an eye for an eye mentality but that scriptural phrase is vastly misunderstood. But we like the idea that it appears to teach. Love your neighbor is hard but it hold within its direction the only solution to the array of frustrating issues we face.

Are you up to the challenge?

Blessings