Who Is Your Neighbor?

“The gospel is more about this world than the next. It is the story of God’s work in restoring a broken world and broken people.”

- Josh Ross, Bringing Heaven to Earth: Don’t Wait for Eternity to Live the Good News

Pastor Jared talked this past weekend about living in the uncomfortable tension of Babylon, somewhere between compassion and truth. Throughout this series, we’ve seen the importance of ‘armoring up’ daily and avoiding assimilation while living in the messy middle, contributing to Babylon’s success.

For me, it’s much easier when I’m walking close to Jesus and being aware of the nudging of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 10:13 says:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

It might look like, when asked to lie for a fellow employee, saying you won’t. Or resisting the urge to pad the expense account. When sensing you should call that annoying friend, actually picking up your phone.

It begins to happen naturally the more we learn to listen and respond to the Holy Spirit.

One way that has happened for Ken and me is through the move we made into our current home thirteen years ago, when our son got married and our daughter was in college.

We soon learned we were the “kids” on the block, with most everyone in the neighborhood well into retirement. Because our dog, Reese, is extremely social, she would often see the couple right next door on their back patio and rush over to say hello.

Reese quickly bonded us to Jack and Patty, now both 84 years old. Many Saturday or Sunday afternoons, Reese would run over and then we’d follow, sharing appetizers, cocktails (it’s a generational thing) and conversation.

Jack made it very clear early on that he is an atheist. (Yes, his tone and the way he shut us down left us feeling like we were in the lion’s den.) His son had been killed in a motorcycle accident, and he has never made peace with God over it. We have not pushed, but just share our lives, and our experiences with him and Patti.

Through the years, we’ve ‘walked’ through life with them. Jack was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, and after being with them in the ICU, we cautiously asked to pray and he said ‘yes.’ Patty took a fall a few years later and when we visited her in rehab, we didn’t have to ask to pray anymore, but held hands and asked Jesus for her healing.

When Ken was first diagnosed with cancer, Jack and Patti were very concerned and offered meals and checked in with us regularly. Over the past five years, we’ve been able to honestly share Ken’s journey as they’ve observed his unwavering faith and trust in God, whether he heals him on earth or in heaven. (By the way, we received the scan report and he is stable - no new growth or additional spreading!)

Two weeks ago, we were on the patio with them and as we got up to leave, Jack said, “You’re not going to believe this but I’ve started reading the Bible. It’s a bunch of begats and begats and begats.” (He’s reading the King James Version so we’re bringing him a new Bible and pointing him to John’s gospel!)

We’ve known Jack and Patti for the last thirteen years, and we genuinely love them like family. We haven’t assimilated into their beliefs nor have we preached. We’ve just been authentic.

I don’t know how the story will end. In the meantime, we’ll continue to passionately love and live out our faith.

My challenge for you today is to think about this… it might not be the couple immediately next door, but “Who is Your Neighbor?” and how can you live with them in the messy middle?

Pastor Pam

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