love thy neighbor

i recently watched a dateline story about three neighbors, who apparently were otherwise pleasant, mild mannered and law-abiding people, but they became embattled with strife, bitterness and vengeance which ultimately led to a tragic and deadly end.

the cliff notes, if you will, of the story is that the neighbors had agreed that a bridge that accessed both their properties was in need of repairs. as the neighbors discussed, (the husband and wife) agreed to repair the bridge because the husband had some experience in making such repairs. so as months passed away, the other neighbor grew frustrated and irritable because the the repairs had not begun.

the frustrated neighbor hired a professional company to do the work which meant that the repair bill would be split between the homeowners. the move to submit a bill to the couple created such discord and animosity between the neighbors that arguments and accusations ensued and as tempers increasingly grew hostile, the frustrated neighbor shot and killed the husband and wife.

so now a husband and wife lay dead in their driveway – a feud that began over the repairs of a bridge. how is it that seemingly loving people can sometimes be driven to such great acts of rage and violence? why couldn’t this situation be worked out peacefully among the neighbors – where was their love for one another – where was their love for Christ?

yup, i do agree that some people often make it difficult to love them, but the Christ in us must outshine the voice that may lead us to the contrary. when someone treats you badly or unfairly, it can sometimes be a struggle to show them love, but that is exactly what Christ teaches us to do – show love, in the most challenging of situations.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

so you may say that you have a great relationship with your neighbors, but who are our neighbors? they are not just those with whom we live in close proximity. in the 10th chapter of luke, Jesus tells the disciples that they must first love the Lord thy God with all their heart and to love thy neighbor as thyself. when asked who is our neighbor, Jesus then tells of the story of the Good Samaritan and indicates that everyone is our neighbor.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." (1John 4:20)

the scriptures are clear. we are to love God, with all our being and we are to love our neighbor in the same way. we should love without judgment, reservation or condition, the way that God loves us. we are to love wholeheartedly, with all of our heart, the way we want to be loved; this pleases God. anyone who doesn't have this kind of love for their brethren does not have a perfect love towards God.

the greek word agape translates to love in the new testament. we should have an agape love for one another, its a self-less and self-sacrificing love with no sexual or romantic connotation. agape love characterizes who God is, his very nature. agape love is a choice not an emotion-filled touchy feeling kind of love. this is the kind of love we are to have for our neighbors; we are to choose to love our neighbors.

the 6th chapter of luke tells us to love our enemies. "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” learning to love each other, especially those whom we see as our enemies, does not come naturally to us so it is a process. love is a healthy and good emotion, it has a calming affect on those who allow it to enter into their lives and then share it with others. love minimizes heated exchanges and disputes, it avoids being critical and judgmental. love chooses to see the good in others, and more so when we are disagreeable. when love is the guiding principle in our dealings with one another it opens itself to a much more pleasant exchange.

as we navigate through this Christmas holiday, let’s remember the love that Christ has for us and show it to our neighbor (those in our office, our family, our church, on the streets, in the stores, on the highway, everywhere we encounter a neighbor) remember to show them God’s agape love.

had the neighbors in the story that i talked about earlier had just taken a moment to remember God’s love and allow His love to be a calming affect in the midst of their very volatile situation, those families could have been spared such a senseless tragedy. when love is the integral key in how we deal with others, we can calm fears, judgments, disputes and even senseless deaths.

during this holiday season and always, practice kindness toward others and gain the peace of God through agape love. what better gift to give to Jesus on His birthday…love God with all our heart, love one another the same, love thy neighbor as we love ourselves.