To say yes to your neighbour is to say yes to God. Saying no to your neighbour, thus saying no to God, mostly falls into the category of sins of omission. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” This is not about being kind to family or friends. It is about having compassion for the hungry, the homeless, the cold, the imprisoned.
How is that going for you? It takes a lot more work than just having a neighbour over for tea, doesn’t it? It can even be risky! I think it takes being intentional about seeking out those lost people and welcoming them into our home and our heart. Intentional and determined. But we are not alone; God is with us. We do it not for ourselves, but for our God who has risked all to give us everything. It’s really about sharing what we’ve been given.
Compassionate God, you have blessed us with much. Encourage us to seek out the lost and lonely, the little and the least that we may share generously with them all you have given us and done for us, so they might also be touched and blessed by you. Amen. — SB