When I think of the word neighbor, I think of Mr. Rogers and the following quote from his show's theme song comes to mind. “So, let's make the most of this beautiful day. Since we're together we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor?” As much as Mr. Rogers taught us all about neighbors, a Pew Research study done in 2018 states that approximately 60% of Americans state they know very few to none of their neighbors. I first found this statistic shocking but then I paused and realized that in most places I’ve lived, I’ve also known very few of my neighbors. I may not know many of my neighbors, but I often ponder the question “What does it mean to be a good neighbor.” State Farm has always told us “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!”...So the question is, does simply being “there” wherever “there” is, make me a good neighbor? I believe that when it comes to being a good neighbor, there is much more than meets the eye.
In my desire to learn more about what it means to be a “good neighbor” I dove into the scriptures where I found a simple, yet fascinating discovery. Leviticus 19:18 states “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” The Hebrew word for “neighbor” in this verse is rêaʻ, which means friend, companion, or fellow. Based on this definition, to be a “good neighbor” means to be a friend or a companion. I can’t help but wonder what the world might look like if we treated each person we crossed paths with like a friend or companion. Regardless of race, political view, or religion, what if we incorporated this scriptural definition of neighbor into our everyday lives and began to love and care for our neighbors as we would a family member or friend. Anyone can be your neighbor, whether they live a million miles away or right down the street. In a world that is becoming increasingly more uncertain and divisive, we could all use a good neighbor. So, this begs the question, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Will you be a friend and companion to all? A friend is kind, caring, patient, supportive, and loving. I challenge you this week to find some time to be a “good neighbor” to those who cross your path because one “good neighbor” at a time, we can begin to impact the world in a beautiful, neighborly way.
