Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Matthew 22:35-40
Walter starts playing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" music, while Robin comes in and changes into a red sweater and changes shoes.
Today we are starting a new series on "Be the Neighbor"! Several of our members have already been working with Hillside Christian and our Disciples Region on a project for the summer. I'll talk more about that in a moment.
Remember back in March when we decided on a new mission statement for our church? Do any of you remember what it is?
"We are Disciples,
living God's inclusive love,
by serving our neighbors,
community, and world.
Today and next Sunday, we will be exploring our identity as Christians and what it means to be a neighbor--and the Biblical imperative about how we treat "the other". I have named this triad of sermons "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Of course, that brings to mind the late Mr. Rogers and his neighborhood.
Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian Minister. He had a heart for justice, and he believed that young children were often left out of the conversation about important issues in our world. He believed that children could comprehend and converse about these touchy issues and that they deserved to be invited into the conversation. He took on the hot topics of the day, including racism and even terrorism. He wanted to teach the greater truths that faith has to offer--not the pop culture rhetoric that can bring all of us down into non-productive political mudslinging.
One of the guiding principles of Fred Rogers was straight from Jesus: often called the greatest commandment. It is found in the gospels. In Matthew 22:35-40. It reads:
One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets."
What if the solution to our society's biggest issues has been right under our noses for the past 2,000 years? When Jesus asked us to reduce everything in the Bible into one command he answered: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
Simple, right? What if we actually put into practice? Do you know your neighbor's names or anything about them? Recently, someone handed me a small sheet of paper with a drawing of houses on it. If my house was in the center of the drawing, surrounded by 9 houses...
1. How many names of the 9 neighbors around me could I list?
2. Then, what could I tell you about those neighbors (i.e. where did they work; did they have children at home; did they have pets?)
3. And finally, had they been to my home had I been to theirs?
The sad reality is that the majority of Christians do not know the names of most of our neighbors. We know this is not the way it is suppossed to be. This is not what Jesus envisioned for us and our world. And we know we can do better. This for a moment about your own neighborhood. What problems do you see?
*Is the yard across the street full of weeds? Perhaps you know that the one who typically mows the yard just got laid off from work or had surgery. What can you do?
*Next door there are some teenagers. Occasionally, "funny smells" wafts out of the open window. You wonder if you should call the police or the parents. What can you do?
*There's a family a couple of doors down with several children. It's clear they don'ot speak English very well, and you're not certain they go to school regularly. Should you call social services or the school district? Surely they are equipped to handle this sort of problem. Aren't they?
*These problems aren't hypothetical; they likely exist outside your door. We can always hope that somebody else will handle them. But what does the greatest commandment call us to do? And what if the solution is more attainable than we think?
*Finally, have you ever wondered about the invisible family that lives in your neighborhood? You've never actually met them but you know they exist because you've glimpsed signs of life around their house?
What good things might happen if you truly got to know the people in your neighborfood and got to know you?
Last December, our doorbell rang. I looked throug the beveled glass and saw a mom and her grade school daughter outside decked in their winter coats. I did not recognize them, but I opened the door. They introduced themselves to me and handed me a Christmas tin. "Merry Christmas!" they declared. "We are bringing you some Christmas treats that we wanted to share because we are neighbors!" I invited them in, but they declined. They were delivering other treats to the neighbors.
Imagine my delight when I opened the tin and found many different kinds of homemade cookies, candies, and goodies that they had made! They also included the couple's names and cell phone numbers and their address (directly across the street)! I never recalled meeting them, but Eric said he had.
After the season was over, I went to their house to invite the mom and daughter to do some arts and crafts with me. They couldn't at that time, but agreed to take a rain check. Since then, we have texted back and forth and have some dates on the calendar. It's embarrassing to admit that after two years living in our home, I cannot name very many of our neighbors.
Our church is embarking on a new project this summer and beyond! We are going to take on the challenge of our mission statement and the greatest commandment! We are going to BE THE NEIGHBOR!
Here are some direct ways you can get involved:
1. Starting today, we are hosting Family Promise in our building.
2. Hillside Christian Church and Riverside Christian are partnering to Be the Neighbor. We are throwing neighborhood barbeques this summer in various neighborhoods. There is no catch--just getting to know people. The Disciples Region in Kansas is supplying the main course, the grill, the grilling team, and a bounce house. All we must do is get the neighbors to come out. Training for the volunteers will be on Saturday, May 31 from 9:30 - 12:45 at Hillside Christian Church. Come and learn what this is all about. There is no bait and switch--this is about getting to know your neighbors and being friendly. You can't even invite someone to church until you know a person's name and their faith story! We hope to have up to 6-8 BBQ's this summer.
3. Our new strategic plan is calling for Riverside to host some events on our lawn this summer. We want to have music, ice cream, and family gatherings for our neighborhood. Volunteer to assist our Hospitality Team or our Worship and Music team so we can plan these events asap! Most of all, we need you to participate in these events!
Taking time to be a good neighbor here in Riverside and/or at your own neighborhood near your home is not only what Jesus asked of us, but also part of what we are called to do as people of goodwill. And it is downright fun. Learning about new people and getting together over food, music, games, and good fun is a fabulous way to celebrate the summer!
Let's take a bit of time this summer to ask a few people "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"