Won't You Be My Neighbour?

Folks differs, dearie. They differs a lot. ~ Ann Petry

I've lived in a lot of differing communities – in big cities, in farm houses, on an island, in small towns on both sides of the tracks.

I myself have been educated in nine different schools, in four different provinces. My kids have been in public school, in private school, in a one-room schoolhouse, and home-schooled.

I've been a part of work communities in offices, restaurants, hospitals and malls.

I've been part of church communities that met in schools and libraries and living rooms and warehouses; churches that had three people, churches that had three services; churches that you had to dress up for, or that you had to dress down for; churches where you were expected to speak in tongues, churches where you were expected to wear closed toe shoes; churches where people invite you home for lunch, churches where people stare and send you home lonely.

I'm not exactly a world traveler, but I've had a lot of neighbours.

My dream was always to just live in one place, to be part of one community, to raise my children with roots and a sense of belonging, and to not always feel like an outsider or an interloper, or somebody being welcomed and learning the ropes.

That's not how we do it.

Now my dream is to live in an RV.

I'm over it.

The older I get, the more I have that this world is not my home feeling. I'm just passing through. I don't mind anymore that I don't exactly belong anywhere.

Honestly, I'm getting more and more OK with that.

People are basically the same everywhere I have been – but the truth is, every community has not been the same. Every community is a kind of community within a community – I often have to be in and out of one in order to catch its flavour.

This small town I live in right now – it's a great town. It's a very wonderful place to live and, aside from the $250 seat belt ticket we got in our driveway on the day we moved to town, people have been very welcoming and warm right from the start. It's a nice town full of good, kind people – as nice as any place I've ever lived.

Sometimes I almost feel like I belong, like I have roots here, like these are my people. People here drink coffee, they have sharp wits and easy smiles, they shop the thrift store, they read books, they help people in need, they give their kids sugar, they volunteer, they communicate with gifs, they mind their own business and they share their fax machines. What more could anyone want?

So what if some people think the earth is flat, and some people think God makes gold dust rain from the rafters, and some people think Donald Trump is a great man of God, and some people think don't tell is a great life motto, and some people shop-vac their drive-ways, and some people think the Holy Spirit leads them to abandon their spouse and children so that they can be happy...

So what if that's not me? We are not all the same – even though we kind of are.

We all want to be loved, to receive grace for our mistakes, to be right about what's important, and to not suffer.

I have yet to meet anyone anywhere who wasn't that way.

Is it really so important for me to try to persuade others to see things from my particular point of view?

I am ambivalent about so many things.

I'm trying to mind my own business.

I had some fun with Donald Trump memes prior to the election – but, after 'the people spoke', I didn't feel it was right to entertain myself by running commentary on the politics of another country. It certainly wouldn't be considered polite. I certainly wouldn't want it done unto me.

Folks differs, dearie.

Sometimes it has felt like living next door to a domestic abuse situation. I have worried a lot about the kids. I think my eyes rolled in my head a little bit at the last mass shooting. As far as compassion and empathy are concerned, I think we are running a trade deficit.

Please, just keep it on your side of the fence.

That's not how we do it.

Until there's a scuffle, and the fence gets broken, and now it's my business.

Why does it become my business when it is no longer about what is right, but about how the wrong directly affects me?

I don't think I'm ok with that. I'm trying to work it out.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

What is written in the Law?” he replied.“How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,”Jesus replied.“Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said:“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him,“Go and do likewise.” ~ Luke 10