Love my Neighbor. Really?!

The man never speaks to us unless he has something ugly to say (which is always about nothing). He guards his property, as well as the cities, as if he were sitting on a gold mind. Rarely does he make eye contact. Even when addressed in a polite and kind manner he doesn’t respond. He walks with his shoulders slumped and head down, occasionally muttering to himself. This is my neighbor. This is the man Jesus tells me I’m supposed to love just as I love myself. It is interesting how life works. We can choose where we wish to live, but we can’t choose our neighbors.

How did Jesus do it? I mean love those who were so mean and cruel to him? How do we in all our broken human nature follow his example, not to mention the “commandment” that Christ gave to us?  Loving one another as we love ourselves is sometimes a most difficult directive. I would rather tell the grumpy old man next door to “get a life and chill out!” Yet I’m supposed to genuinely love this man.

As I ponder this Great Commandment I can’t help but imagine how difficult it must have been for Jesus’ disciples to witness the cruelty their Master endured at the hands of his supposed neighbors. But Jesus did endure. How? He saw the importance of love and the ability it has not so much as to free the other persons spirit, but to free our own. 

Paul tells us that out of all the spiritual gifts love is the absolute greatest. And Paul would know because he was often put to the test! We are put to the test each and everyday. While my neighbor makes me angry, I often wonder, what heavy burdens is he carrying around on his slumped shoulders making him so bitter? He must be a miserable man living a miserable life, allowing his own anger and resentments to rule his life. When looked at through that lens I can’t help but to feel sorry for my neighbor, even a little compassion. The man lives in a self-imposed prison, chained to his past experiences while all the while life simply passes him by every hour of every day.

Love frees us from that kind of bitter life.  Love is the great liberator. When practiced on a consistent basis love has the power to overcome all obstacles that stand in our way. Love leads us to a more Christ-like and wholesome life.

So the next time I see my grumpy neighbor, perhaps I’ll give him a warm and genuine smile. Perhaps I will be slower to judge him and show him compassion, even if it is only in my heart. I may just find myself free from his misery, and who knows maybe, just maybe he will smile back