A couple of days ago a friend of mine posted on facebook, 'My neighbour is a moron.'My friend has been frustrated for sometime about the person living next-door to him for various reasons, yet has failed to see that this 'enemy' maybe the very person God wants him to love.
One of the reasons many Christians don't want to get to know their neighbours is what if their neighbours don't like them, or worse yet, 'they don't like the neighbour!'
Now it's always easier to say that to someone else. But if there is no one in our life that we don't get along with, we might not be reaching out beyond our circle of affinity.
Try reading Matthew 5:43-48 in the context of your local neighbourhood:
"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."
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