Thought for Today
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 5:20 Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor.
Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 10:29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Yesterday, our congregation worshiped with our neighbor congregation just down the road. It is a tradition that we worship with them at their church during July. They then worship with us at our church in August. It felt remarkedly strange to leave the house yesterday morning without a tie on, without my notes in hand and without Greta’s taking something baked for Coffee Hour. Although I have only been an ordained minister for 10 years, it also later felt strange to once again be sitting in a pew, beside Greta, and listening to someone preach a sermon.
We do not live in the community of the congregation I serve. Our home is approximately 28 miles from the community where we worship. In Texas, 28 miles is not considered a very long ‘commute.’ In New England, it is not uncommon for a 28-mile drive to take one through more than one state! In Texas, I would be comfortable referring to folks living 28 miles away as neighbors. In New England, few folks in the neighborhood of our congregation would think of folks in the town where we live as neighbors. ". . . who is my neighbor?"
I love the summertime tradition of these 2 neighborly congregations. Although they are in different towns, they are only 2 miles apart. The road between the 2 is the same, only differing in name along the route from High Road to High Street at the town line. Our neighbors trace their origins to 1762; our congregation’s bulletin proudly proclaims it was “Gathered in 1635” We are both part of the same denomination and have similar congregants. ". . . who is my neighbor?"
There is something especially fitting in these days of secular humanism, the secularization of our society, the creeping materialism of our culture in this simple act of neighbor worshiping with neighbor. There is a reminder in this summertime sharing, in this simple act of neighbor worshiping with neighbor of the concept of Christendom. When the same people we see in the grocery store are the people we see in the pews, we are once again reminded that we are all children of God. This act is an affirmation of the reality that the things which unite us are far more important than the things which separate us. Our faith in Jesus, the Christ, transcends the boundaries of town lines or differing street names.
I have written before of another lovely reminder in First Parish. Although the region has expanded since Rev. Parker first founded the colony on Boston’s North Shore, and there are now many more churches and faith traditions represented in the area, we have recently celebrated another act of neighborly Christian unity. The previous 2 years many of the area churches have joined together in an ecumenical choir concert. Each church’s choir offers a short presentation of choral music. The first year it was hosted by a Catholic congregation celebrating their 175th anniversary. Last year it was hosted by the Greek Orthodox church. Each year it has been a joyful celebration of our various, different ways of worshiping Jesus in music. ". . . who is my neighbor?"
I have always been fascinated by Jesus’ answer to that lawyer in Luke. When he asked Jesus ". . . who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered him with the Parable of the Good Samarian. Most Christians learn that parable as young children. Somehow, tragically, we forget the story as we age. As adults, we forget the lesson in Jesus’ simple story. Jesus offered the same idea in another story in Mark with “3:35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Neighbor, relative, friend, all who do the will of God are children of God. We are all part of the family of God. Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of that as we worship together, neighbor with neighbor.
Stay safe, remember that they will know we are Christians by our love, trust God,
Pastor Ray