Who’s Our Neighbor?
Extending Healing and Wholeness to All
Reflection By Scott Stoner
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’
- Matthew 5:43-44
One of the criticisms of social media is that it creates bubbles where users tend to interact with content and people who fully align with their own views. Sometimes referred to as an “echo chamber,” this often encourages an “us” and “them” mentality.
Jesus was critical of the religious people who lived in the echo chambers of their own, dividing people into “us” and “them,” and focusing only on loving and caring for those who were like them. As a way to completely turn this thinking on its head, he uttered the words above, challenging us to love everyone—even those whom we may have been led to think are our enemies. In this same portion of Scripture, Jesus goes on to ask, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others?”
For Jesus, a neighbor is not limited to our family, friends, and people with whom we are comfortable interacting. A neighbor is not defined by affinity, but by need. “Othering” is a term that is sometimes used to distance and dismiss others who are different from us. For Jesus, there are no “others.” We are all neighbors, all brothers and sisters in Christ, all God’s beloved.
Making It Personal: Who do you find it challenging to love as your neighbor? Are you aware of any “echo chambers” that you participate in that might influence who you think of as a neighbor, worthy of love?