In the neighbourhood...

Lately, this has been on my mind: We need to be better neighbours.

Mark 12 commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves, second only to loving God, so it's clearly something we need to practise and get good at.

I think we can all be good neighbours - we don't need to have lots in common with them, we don't need to be super talkative people who have all the right words to say. Sometimes, as I am finding more and more, all we need to do is take that one 'small step'.

For our physical neighbours, maybe that's just leaving a Christmas card in their mailbox.

For our workmates, maybe that's just slipping them a chocolate egg at Easter time.

And for our church family, maybe that's just saying hello to the uncle that you always see but never talk to.

You do not need to be a friend to be a neighbour. But often, if you're a good neighbour, friendship will naturally follow. Or, at the least, respect. And praise God for the opportunities that come with it.

Who knows? You could be entertaining an angel (Hebrews 13:2).


K