INTENTIONAL NEIGHBORING

Who are the people in my neighborhood?

The old Sesame Street song points to a different time in our society. One in which everyone knew everyone. For a number of reasons, people do not know and are not as connected to each other as they used to be. Is this true for you? Do you know your neighbors? What are their names? What are their talents and dreams? How do they struggle?

John McKnight and Peter Block explain, “in too many cases, we are disconnected from our neighbors and isolated from our communities…. But our communities are abundant with the resources we need for the future.” Due to current events and our dependence on social media, we are actually more disconnected from our neighbors than ever before, and we do not know enough about them to know how you could help each other. You might be agreeing with the ideal of this, but not know how to start. You might be even asking what the expert in the law asked Jesus.

“And who is my neighbor?” ~ Luke 10:29

Jesus answers this question with the now famous story of the Good Samaritan. Often, this parable is used to encourage loving and serving people who are very different from us, and that is definitely true and a powerful exhortation. Today, however, I would like to encourage you to love and serve your actual neighbors, who may or may not be similar to you. But in a world of separation and disconnection, how are we supposed to love our neighbors?

It takes intentionality. It takes presence. It takes time. It takes authenticity.

Intentional Neighboring is a choice to know and care for our neighbors and neighborhoods. It is a journey of walking in both blessing and struggle. McKnight and Block write, “we discover the abundance of our community not only when our gifts are acknowledged, but also when our sorrows are revealed.” Being real is sharing our hopes and dreams as well as our hurts and struggles. This level of authenticity does not happen overnight, but each small step towards people, looking for connection and relationship does make a difference. Soon enough, you are enveloped in meaningful relationships with the people who live all around you.

Gerald Sittser explains, “give God an inch and he takes a mile, though we hardly ever notice because we are actually walking that mile, one step at a time. We take one small risk; years later we look back and marvel at what has happened as a result.”

Intentional neighboring can feel risky at times, but over time the connections and potential of the relationships will provide a powerful testimony of loving our neighbors as Jesus commanded.