Reach out to your neighbors

 

A few years ago it occurred to me that I didn't know the name of a single one of my neighbors.

They weren't bad people, we weren't locking horns over noise complaints, or un-raked leaves. Everything was perfectly cordial. We'd exchange friendly nods if we happened to be getting in or out of our cars at the same time. Sometimes, there would even be a wave.

All the same, I only knew the people who lived near me by vague, lazy descriptions. "The lady with the hair” or "that guy who drives a jeep.” As someone who usually considers himself a fairly friendly person, I had to step back and wonder why that was. It's because our modern lives are designed to place partitions between us that those around us.

It's so easy to become isolated from your neighbors these days. To live next to someone for months or even years and not know a single thing about them. Thanks to urban sprawl and modern inventions like the sub-division, many of us are dedicated commuters these days. Don't walk down to the corner store, or meander about the sidewalks. We drive to work in the morning, we pull the car into the driveway at the end of the day. Everything in-between is just a blur of street signs and crosswalks, the other homes a collection of mysterious cyphers.

When we relax we do it inside, where the central air, TV, and computers are. Or we go out, destination hoping – a park several blocks away, the store, a mall. When we do hang out in our yards, its in the backyard with the barbeque, behind the fence. Or out front with the lawnmower – and it's difficult to hold a conversation with a roaring engine going.

This isn't a bad thing. Habits change from year to year and generation to generation. New technology changes how we live, and it is a little too easy to say it's always for the worse. Still, it's hard not to think that we're missing something in our daily lives now. That feeling of community, the friendly familiarity between neighbors who know each other. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel Christian.

I suppose that's because the Bible is filled with stories about communities and strangers reaching out to one another and becoming stronger for it. Jesus might have lived a traveling life for much of his adulthood, but that never stopped him from making connections with everyone he stayed with. He never settled for giving anyone a half-friendly nod, or pretended to be looking for his keys to avoid a conversation.

Jesus gave us an example of how to treat our neighbors. With kindness, love, and respect. He treated everyone with empathy and welcomed them with open arms. As Christians, we need to do the same.

When you don't know your neighbors, it's easy to always assume the worst. When the lawn is looking shaggy, you can just assume they're lazy, or take their home for granted. When they're dog is always barking, you can write it off as a poorly trained annoying little mutt.

But when you know people, you build empathy and understanding. Maybe the lawn hasn't been mowed not because they're lazy, but because the husband was recently in an accident and doesn't have the mobility or strength to keep up with his usual lawn care regime. Sure, that loud dog two doors down might be an annoyance, but it might also be an aging empty nester's only friend.

Next time you see your neighbor in the driveway, take the time to say hello. Reach out to those around you and build the community you want to live in.