Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We all have neighbors.  We all choose what kind of neighbor we will be to each other.  We make choices based on our own thoughts and values.  My neighbors are diverse in almost every way I can ponder.  Getting to know them is a blessing.

Whether we think of neighbors on the local, social, or national scale the obligation is for us to be good.  It is required that we treat each neighbor well.  We can be good neighbors if we choose.  Instead we seem to wait for others to make the first move.  My neighbors and I get along because we talked to each other.  I met their children.  We talked enough about our lives to know each other a little.

It is easy to be a good neighbor if we try.  I have to be aware enough to see when others need someone to be neighborly.  I need to be intentional in my attempts to be good to others.  I must put the needs of others as a priority in my life.

The command to love my neighbor is not conditional.  It is one of the two basic commands that are foundational to all law.  I cannot love God properly if I do not love my neighbor.  In a world where darkness seems to gather more quickly and deeply every day, perhaps the finest light is to love one’s neighbor.  Perhaps if others know in advance that I will love them, they will be more inclined to say yes to the question “please won’t you be my neighbor?”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Strangers and Aliens

Greetings Dear Reader,

One cannot listen to or view media without encountering the stories about securing our borders and those trying to cross them.  I am trying to gain a perspective on what the heart of this should be for me.  There are clear answers and I must be sure that I know what I believe and live accordingly., 

Even under the very strict laws of ancient Israel there were rules governing “strangers in the land.”  Exodus 22:21 "Never mistreat or oppress foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt.”  The word for “foreigner” literally translates to “a temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights.” 

I will not ignore that there are those who seek to enter our land with intent to do wrong.  We should have a system in place for this that works.  We do not.  What we must not do is let the innocent suffer because of what the guilty might do in our land.  We have failed at this in the past.  The interment of Japanese-AMERICANS during World War II is just one example. 

We must be safe but we must not violate the human rights of anyone to do so.  There is a way through all of this if we will be humane rather than political.  We can find a way to be a shining example of freedom and protect our land if we choose to do both.  We first need to stop arguing and be more neighborly about it.

The stranger in the land is still my neighbor.  I cannot claim to follow Christ and neglect this truth.  So I say to those seeking a life of freedom, hope, and safety “please won’t you be my neighbor?”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Driving in my Car

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am not sure that I have thought of it this way before yesterday.  There is a four-way stop that I pass through daily.  All too often I see people making right turns scoot through the intersection without stopping.  Yesterday someone did this and almost hit me.

In the anger that leapt to my mind over the incident my thoughts were briefly not very neighborly.  Then it occurred to me that I needed to love that person beyond their poor driving choices.  Whether we wish it or not, one of the true strongholds of our anger is our private space behind the wheel of our car.

We do not consider enough that everyone with whom we share the road is our neighbor.  We only share proximity with them for a moment but in that moment, we are required to love them as a neighbor.  If we think of things in this light, would it change the way we drive?

Every time I drive I take on responsibility for the wellbeing of others.  If I am not a good neighbor I endanger lives.  Even though I have not thought of it this way before in terms of neighbors I have noticed that driving has become quite un-neighborly.

Perhaps some reminders for all of are in order:

Stop signs mean stop

• It never hurts me to let someone else go first
• The space between me and the other car is for safety
• The space between me and the other car is not for you
• The space between me and the other car is required
• The speed limit is the highest legal speed not the required speed
• Your dog should not be driving
• You do not need to drive as fast as you think you do
• Zipper merging works if everyone behaves

I think that I could go on for this for quite a bit.  I also think you get the point.  I must be aware of my neighbors when I am driving.  I must consider their needs and be humble, patient, and kind.  Even in rush hour traffic I am required to be a good neighbor.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ All Colors

Greetings Dear Reader,

It seems that the simple things get in the way of good neighbors.  We allow our minds to follow things that we know are neither logical nor just.  The idea of being racist is appalling to us.  Yet at some level we still fail to see past color.

I am not talking about those who are intentionally prejudicial to the races different from their own.  They have another set of problems that I will not address here.  I am focused on the discipline of fighting off inherited assumptions or rejecting false stereotypes.

We do this no matter what the color of our skin.  We hear the words that others speak and may not intentionally adopt them.  The problem comes when those thoughts resurface unbidden.  We think the thing we would not and then have to push it away.

Because of the way our culture is we must keep our un-neighborly thoughts captive.  We can only hope to be good neighbors if we constantly think well of others.  We can recognize wrong without relegating it to foolish assumptions or generalizations.  We need to remember that all color based stereotypes, good or bad are improper.   

I will not lie and claim that these thoughts do not try to enter my mind.  What I will always do is fight them.  I will analyze what triggers them and kill the association.  I will look at everyone as a part of the human race.  I will do what it takes to treat people with love and kindness.  I will invite them to be my neighbor. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Different Morals and Values

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of our natural reactions is to shun people with morals and values that differ from ours. Differences can make us uncomfortable and we follow the wrong path.  We may just avoid them.  We may choose to protest against them.  Sometimes we go so far as to imprison them, deny them rights, and persecute them. 

No matter what your excuse none of this is loving a neighbor.  We cannot legislate, prosecute, or persecute others into our way of thinking or belief.  Humans will do as they choose.  They have free will and no human can control that.

Knowing that nothing oppressive works we are left with a choice.  How are we going to treat others that differ from us in our morals and values?  If I hope to follow Christ well the answer is simple.  I must treat them like a neighbor, with love.  I must love my neighbor no matter how I feel about his or her morals and values.  Let that sink in for a moment.

The command to love your neighbor is not couched in qualifiers.  There is no “unless” attached.  We do that.  We fill the command with our own baggage.  We water it down to exclude those who we dislike, make us uncomfortable, or even hate.  We choose to claim we are loving when we are not. 

What then is the answer for me as a Christ follower?  I have very exclusive morals and values.  There are things that I believe to be wrong, full stop.  I am not wrong to believe those things.  I am wrong to discount, disavow, or disrespect anyone who differs from me.  It is my obligation to love my neighbor. 

In light of that I choose to treat my neighbors with love and kindness.  I am privileged to have neighbors who differ from me greatly.  I have forged an interaction with them that is kind and friendly.  That is what we need to do for each other.  That is how we should be as humans.  So, if you are different from me, I ask you, please won’t you be my neighbor?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Are You Special?

Greetings Dear Reader,

Some years ago, one of the stories that surfaced about Fred Rogers was that part of his message was harmful.  The perspective was that telling every child that he or she is special is not healthy.  It caused quite a stir at the time and has resurfaced with the advent of the documentary.

The real problem here is that we must all answer that question sooner or later.  Is each of us special?   We must address if our life is unique and has significant value.  We must decide that about everyone. 

The analysis should be simple.  If you are conservative and believe in God then every life is special because it contains a unique soul on the same journey as you are.  If you are liberal and believed in God then the same applies.  If you are an atheist it does become more complex. 

Since faith is not your standard it falls to you to choose what you think the value of life is.  We live in a world where that value varies from culture to culture.  We fight over the value of life, when it begins, and who can choose to end it.  It should not surprise us when there are those who see life as less than unique to the individual. 

I would submit that we dare not dismiss the value of any life until we have taken honest assessment of our own.  I do mean honest.  It is easy to count oneself valuable or worthless when pride and pain are in play.  It is much more difficult to do the same with honesty and integrity.

As a Christ follower I believe that every life; every soul is unique.  I believe that we are all special in some way that the world needs.  We all have something to contribute to the journey back to the Father.  What does this mean then to everyday life for me?

It is simple.  It means that you are special and that I want to know you and the ways in which your life makes the world a better place.  If I am going to accomplish that I must do so by journeying with you.  No matter where we fall in step I must treat you with love and kindness.  No matter what our differences I must see that you are a life worthy of kindness and grace.  So, please won’t you walk with me for a bit and, therefore, for a time be my neighbor.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Won’t You be My Neighbor ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

With the premiere of the Fred Rogers documentary, “Won’t You be My Neighbor?” this week, I have been thinking about the impact of his ideas on our world.  There is also the idea of neighbors and how we treat each other.  I have written about this before from a standpoint of definition and inclusion. 

What I intend for this series of thoughts is to clarify my own vision of “neighbor” and extend invitations.  The idea of how we treat each other matters so deeply.  In a world where we divide over politics at the expense of human lives we truly are missing the point.

We live in a world of neighbors.  From those across the hall or street to those across the world, we cannot hope to prosper if we do not treat each other better.  This means everyone.  We all find some group or social issue over which we choose to be poor neighbors.  If you think for a moment you are not included in this you are deceived.  We are all crooked sticks.  We all choose someone to disavow as our neighbor.  I know that I do this even when I wish not to do so.

I want to be accountable to my obligation to ask everyone to be my neighbor.  I want to do so clearly with intent and out of love.  I will see the movie about Fred Rogers out of respect for the man.  I will think deeply about the idea of neighbor and how I can be better at it.  You, Dear Reader are one of my fondest neighbors.  I hope you will share your thoughts and questions with me as we walk together. 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor – Fred Rogers

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood,
A neighborly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So let's make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we're together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?

Won't you please, won't you please,
Please won't you be my neighbor?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Closing

Greetings Dear Reader,

I cannot solve the many problems we face.  I can be a part of the solution.  We can all be a part of the solution.  We started this by noting there are two laws upon which all laws are built.  I cannot impose those laws on anyone else.  I cannot force you to love others.

All that I can do is work with all that I am to love God and to love others.  I cannot make you be reasonable.  I cannot force you to see right or wrong.  I cannot even be sure that you will see it if I do.  What I can do is live the values I hold and be an example. 

I cannot make others humble about following Christ.  I cannot stop those who say they follow Jesus from using his name for their own purposes.  What I can do is work daily to realize how much grace and mercy I need.  I can work at understanding and living humility. 

Love is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal against evil.  My duty is to use it as often as I am able.  There is always a war for good.  There is always need for me to fight for others to feel loved.  It sounds oxymoronic but it is true. 

I must realize that any other rules or laws I embrace must have their foundation built upon love of God and my neighbor.  They must flow through that filter into my life.  If what I do is not loving then it is wrong.  I can be that way without mitigating holiness, righteousness, and justice.  If we all work toward loving each other the problems will sort out themselves. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ So Very Basic

Greetings Dear Reader,

It could be that at times I oversimplify things.  I know that at times I also overcomplicate them.  In this instance it may be that the answers are very basic and that all our responses do is muddy the water and hinder action.

When we struggle with forgiveness we wonder how often we have to forgive someone.  We want to find the place where we can stop being forgiving more than we want to love others.  That means that the problem is us.

We are often given opportunities to be good to others.  Instead we serve our own interests.   We put our agenda ahead of being good to others.  We make choices for our own interests.  We make up reasons not to keep our commitments both small and large.  What we assure in the moment of asking becomes murky when it is time to act.  What we promise becomes a choice in our mind and we refuse to keep our word.

All of this is a failure to love each other.  It is really true that when we do these things we are saying, “I love my own interest more than I love you.”  I may want to do things for my own needs.  That is not always wrong but my primary responsibility is not my needs but, rather, the needs of others.

We immediately ponder that our needs will not get met.  If everyone stopped focusing on their own interests and truly saw and met the needs of others it would become something amazing.  I cannot be the one who says, “they may not reach out to me so I will not reach out for them.” 

I must take the first step.  I must risk it every time so that others can risk it as well.  It is not in this that we find our reclamation.  It is in this that we know we have been reclaimed.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Kindness Need Not Be Random

Greetings Dear Reader,

When I was young things contrived to build up a great deal of anger in me.  I had no mechanism for dealing with it at the time.  Some was justified and some was my indulgence of my darker nature.  For a time, anything that felt good hurt.  I was on the road to hard-hearted hatred of myself and every other human.  I was also very good at acting like I did not.

Then a stranger infused some very intentional and determined kindness into my life.  He refused to let my mask and my hard heart keep him from being kind to me.  He spent time and effort teaching me how to be tenderhearted.  I promised you some practical approaches to loving one’s neighbor.

It may be as simple as looking for opportunities to be kind.  Whether it is setting a standard of being kind to everyone we encounter or seizing opportunities for intentional moments of kindness out of the ordinary, we can set our hearts toward always being kind.  We can choose to be kind to others as a matter of course.

Loving one’s neighbor requires kindness.  The best way not to miss it is to practice it intentionally.   Engage with people.  Treat them as more than the service they provide or the stranger next to you.  When we intentionally infuse kindness into the lives of others we set aside our busy selves.  We see the people we encounter as humans to be loved and valued.

Again, this seems like a broad stroke.  In truth it is a standard that can guide almost all of our congress with others.  As I move through the day my attitude is much better because I am focusing my mind on being kind to my family, the people I see, and those who attend the places I go. 

It is in this tenderheartedness.  It is in this intentional kindness.  This is where I find the capacity to love my neighbor in the moment.  Planning and executing intentional good keeps me from all kinds of bad.  Little by little it drains the deep well of anger and pain filled from my youth .  It is in this intentional choice to love through action that peace is found.  Acts of kindness need not be random.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ The Thinks you Will Think

Greetings Dear Reader,

Let us reason together for a moment.  I have talked about the theoretical but not given much practical.  There are some things I have done to put my mind in the frame of loving my neighbor that seem to work.  Keep the meat and throw away the bones.

The first thing that worked for me was controlling my thinking.  Although I do my best not to use colorful metaphors of the expletive nature, my mind was much poorer at this especially when driving.  One day I realized that if I was going to really learn to love everyone I had to bring my thoughts into captivity.  As my Grandfather used to say when people would swear around him, “What’s down in the well is what comes up in the bucket.”

This means that if I am going to be a loving person I need to do so internally first.  I admit that it is difficult sometimes but it is worth it.  Another aspect of this is learning to filter my thoughts that are negative about people.  Again, I find this the most difficult when I am driving.  I find I am riding along, singing my little songs: “Oh how I love Jesus…”, someone cuts me off, “STUPID JERK!!!”, then back to “Oh how I love Jesus…”

This is not very practical and quite hypocritical.  I need to think differently about people.  I need to discipline my mind daily to think of others as unique creations loved by the Father and, therefore, deserving of my love.  It is much more difficult for me to call someone a jerk, even when they act like one, when I am seeing them through the eyes of the Father.

Tomorrow I will get even more practical.  For now, Dear Reader lets us think about the thinks we think.  They create what we are toward others.  They determine our view of life, the universe, and yes, our neighbors. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ The Great American Novel

Greetings Dear Reader,

As a writer I always hope that my writing reaches the world.  I do not think I have the “Great American Novel” in me.  I do know that I have many novels to write.  I know that I work daily at this.  What does that have to do with loving my neighbor?

It has to do with solitude, openness, and engagement.  One cannot write about life unless one lives it.  One cannot see the condition of people unless one engages with them.  Further, one cannot benefit others if one does not see things both as they are and as they can become. 

If we give an honest eye to history, humans always have the potential to do great things.  Too often, however, we do them at the cost of the well being of others.  If we allow our neighbors to starve in order to accomplish a great thing, how great can that thing be?  If we do not treat every human in any situation as more valuable than any endeavor then we stain that endeavor.

I am not saying that brave humans attempting bold things will not require their lives at times.  I am stating that failing to meet the needs of others for the purpose of discovery is a poor practice.  We live in a world where life saving drugs are held ransom for only those who can afford them.  We placate our conscience by having programs to help those “in need”. 

Why do we not love our neighbors enough to insist that people get the care they need no matter their station or situation?  Why do not Christ followers lead the charge in this?  We distract ourselves from real need and give little care for flood of it around us.  We can and must care for the needs of those around us even if it is a sacrifice for us.

Even as I stand on the edge I see ways that I can give to the needs of others.  I see ways that I can show love and kindness.  There is always something one can do if one chooses.

Great American Novel – Larry Norman

I was born and raised an orphan in a land that once was free

In a land that poured its love out on the moon;

And I grew up in the shadows of your silos filled with grain,

But you never helped to fill my empty spoon.

And when I was ten you murdered law with courtroom politics,

And you learned to make a lie sound just like truth;

But I know you better now and I don't fall for all your tricks,

And you've lost the one advantage of my youth.

You kill a black man at midnight just for talking to your daughter,

Then you make his wife your mistress and you leave her without water;

And the sheet you wear upon your face is the sheet your children sleep on,

At every meal you say a prayer; you don't believe, but still you keep on.

And your money says in God we trust,

But it's against the law to pray in school;

You say we beat the Russians to the moon,

And I say you starved your children to do it.

You are far across the ocean in a war is not your own,

And while you're winning theirs, you're gonna lose the one at home;

Do you really think the only way to bring about the peace,

Is to sacrifice your children and kill all your enemies?

The politicians all make speeches while the news men all take note,

And they exaggerate the issues as they shove them down our throats;

Is it really up to them whether this country sinks or floats?

Well I wonder who would lead us if none of us would vote.

Well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped from whispering through the fence,

You know every move I make, or is that just coincidence?

Well you try to make my way of life a little less like jail,

If I promise to make tapes and slides and send them through the mail.

And your money says in God we trust,

But it's against the law to pray in school;

You say we beat the Russians to the moon,

And I say you starved your children to do it.

You say all men are equal, all men are brothers,

Then why are the rich more equal than others?

Don't ask me for the answer, I've only got one:

That a man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Who is My Neighbor

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the things we do to limit our responsibility is to try to quantify the word “Neighbor” to those people we wish to love.  My neighbors then become those I wish them to be.  There is a problem with this.  We are also required to love our enemies.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?”

It is noteworthy that the same word for love is used here that is used when we are told to love our neighbors.  We are required to treat our enemies with the same kind of love that we treat our neighbors.  There is no room for equivocation or mincing words.

Again, we need to remember that all the laws of God rest on this principle and that of loving God.  Nothing becomes complicated when we realize that.  Our situational arguments have nowhere to stand.  Our what if questions do not matter.  Love your neighbor, your enemy, and everyone in between.

If we think about what that looks like it can be very beautiful.  All the social ills over which we stress fade from view.  Every social problem we face can be dealt with if we choose that we are going to treat everyone with love. 

I realize that this sounds too simplistic.  Arguments about what others will do spring to mind.  We worry about reciprocation and the compliance of others.  We are not told to do unto others as they might do.  We are told to do unto them as we would have done to us. 

If I let that play in my head for a bit, I know how I wish to be treated.  I know how I wish to feel.  It is in doing this that I also find how much I need to meter what I say and do.  Every moment must be one of thinking about how to love God and my neighbor, enemy, cashier, waitress.  When I focus on this I find little time for things outside of it and that is a good thing.

It’s A Beautiful Day in This Neighborhood – Fred Rogers

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,

A beautiful day for a neighbor,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beauty-wood,

A neighborly day for a beauty,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,

I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So let's make the most of this beautiful day,

Since we're together, we might as well say,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

Won't you be my neighbor?

Won't you please,

Won't you please,

Please won't you be my neighbor

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ What is Love???

Greetings Dear Reader,

I once had someone dear to me tell me that she did not have to love everyone.  She insisted that respecting others was enough.  She felt that saying that you love others is too high a demand.

If I am going to insist that I must love my neighbor then I must be clear in what I mean by that.  I first turn to what Jesus actually said about it.  He was asked what the greatest commandment was.  His reply was two parted.  First it was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  He then says that the second is harmonious with it.  That is that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

The word here for love is “agapao”.  It is a form of the word for unconditional love.  It is the same word Jesus uses to tell us to love our enemies.  We will talk more about enemies tomorrow.  For now, however, we need a clear understanding of what it means to unconditionally love a neighbor.    

When Paul is explaining to the Corinthians how they should treat each other he explains what love does.  It is clear that love cannot be seen without action.  Here is what Paul writes.  Even if you do not share my faith it is good to read this.  It will remind you how those who do follow Christ should be acting. 

“I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don't have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.

I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don't have love, I am nothing.

I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned. But if I don't have love, none of these things will help me.

Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn't jealous. It doesn't sing its own praises. It isn't arrogant.  It isn't rude. It doesn't think about itself. It isn't irritable. It doesn't keep track of wrongs. It isn't happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth.

Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.  Love never comes to an end...”

If you think you love other people and you are not comparing your life to this you may wish to do so.  I hear very little love in the cries for social justice.  I hear anger, arrogance, rudeness, and see a lack of kindness, patience, and love.  This does not mean that the cry for justice is wrong.  It does mean that we need to cry for it in the proper spirit with the proper attitude.

So, if we are going to love our neighbors we must do so in patience, kindness, humility, and truth.  We must not give space to pride, envy, rudeness, irritability (even before my coffee), or jealousy.  There is no room for debate about this if I claim to follow Christ.  I can imagine the impact in a world where we all did our best to practice this. 

It is not easy and I am not there.  I try to be this way always.  I fail and fall and fear.  I give in to my own thinking instead of standing firm in my desire to love others always.  The purpose is this:  If I am attending to loving others with all that I am, then I will not have time or place to be the wretched things I can be as a human.

A dear friend whom I love and respect is demanding laws to prevent certain actions in our society.  When I expressed that legislating it would not work she insisted that it would.  When I suggested that we have a law to love everyone on the BOOK already, she responded that it is not working so we need to try something else. 

We do not truly grasp the power of love.  My eldest Son once called it “barrier crushing”.  That resonates in me always.  No matter what I do, if it is without love it is useless.  Inversely, if I strive to do all that I do with love then it becomes unstoppable.  I think we have forgotten that there is never a time to stop loving and moving out of love.  “It’s the love y’all y’all.”

Love – Petra

Love is patient, love is kind

No eyes of envy, true love is blind

Love is humble, it knows no pride

No selfish motive hidden inside

Love is gentle, makes no demands

Despite all wrong, true love still stands

Love is holy, love is pure

It lasts forever, it will endure

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Love is loyal, believes the best

It loves the truth, love stands the test

Love is God sent in his Son

Love forgives all we have done

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

In this world where hatred seems to grow

True love goes against the flow

And becomes so hard to show

In this world where push turns to shove

We have strength to rise above

Through the power of His love

Lord, we need to know the power of Your love

Love knows when to let go

Love knows when to say no

Love grows in the light of the Son

And love shows the world that the Son of love has come

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Love They Neighbor Revisited ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

After writing last week about guns I am emotionally quite tired.  I am going to focus for a few days on practical aspects of something good just to bolster my own spirits.  This is one of those things that is essential to being able to claim with any integrity that I follow Christ.

As I move through a genuine crisis in my personal life it is vital that I am sure that I am focused on what I am commanded to be.  There are two commandments under which all other law resides.  Jesus made this quite clear and yet we make them complex to avoid obeying their simplicity. 

The first is to love God with all my heart, soul, and mind.  I cannot, as a flawed human achieve this.  I can, however, attempt every moment to be better at it.  I can do what it takes to walk through life seeking Christ in every moment.  When I fail I must quickly address the failure, seek forgiveness, and keep following.

The second command is to love my neighbor as I love my self.  I cannot hope to do this without doing the first one.  I cannot for a moment believe I am doing the first one if I do not do this one.  They are intertwined and inseparable. 

In light of this I need to spend some time examining the particulars of it as I see it greatly lacking in the world.  I hope to keep this lighthearted

 and kind but when we talk about genuine, barrier crushing love, we will encounter darkness.  I will attempt to shine the light on this darkness lightly. 

Please, Dear Reader, walk with me a bit whilst we examine how we can better love each other.  It could actually be quite enjoyable.  As always, I value your part in the conversation. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)