Be Good To Your Neighbor

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18 

  

  Years ago, the BBC had a television series called: “Lark Rise To Candleford”. I much enjoyed that series for the stories it told about interactions between neighbors and how neighbor helped neighbor. It was generally a “feel good” television series. 

  Awhile back I stepped out of my front door and heard an argument. I looked down my suburban neighborhood street and saw two neighbors in a shouting match with each other. It grieved me to hear such hatred and nastiness directed back and forth at one another. 

  God gave us a “Golden Rule” to follow in our relationships with one another. To love your neighbor as yourself is one of the most important, and sometimes one of the most difficult of God’s rules to follow. For our neighbor does not always make it easy to love them. 

  In the bigger picture, everyone across the world is our neighbor. We share the same planet and our actions or inactions can have great consequence clear across the globe. When our neighbor on the other side of the planet is suffering and in pain we should care and treat them as we would like to be treated if we were in their shoes. 

  Whether close or far away, when in our power, let us always do good and be good to our neighbor. For those of us enduring affliction it is not difficult understand the pain and suffering of another. We who hurt can certainly understand the pain of others. We reveal our best Christian selves when we love our neighbor and do the work of Christ by showing them compassion and love. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, You have been so good to us, help us to always show Your Love and be good to our neighbors. Amen.