Love Train 🚂

I had really noisy neighbors back in 1992. It became so difficult that we decided to move house. And as we explored our options, we started considering buying rather than renting, and in the end we did. It’s a good thing that we didn’t delay buying a house because the prices soon shot up. So, having the noisy neighbors actually turned out for good 😀. If we didn’t have them, we might have put off buying a house for another five years.

In normal circumstances, I would like neighbours to be considerate and reasonably friendly. You do hear of neighbors who have very close relationships. This can work, but sometimes people in close relationships fall out with each other and start bearing grudges and so on. Or some people mightn’t want a neighbor that’s a little but too intrusive or clingy.

When I say considerate, I think of examples such as putting up with some necessary noise, such as if work needs to be done in the house. Or, perhaps, if someone’s kids are playing loud music at a party, you might visit the neighbor and ask them to turn down the volume. A good neighbor will be happy to oblige.

And then, we should consider emergencies or difficult times. For example, in London, during the bombings in World War 2, people were exceptionally kind to each other. You see this in the early church too. Initially, when people became Christians, they would have been severely persecuted. They might well have lost homes, jobs, and support from their normal Jewish and gentile communities.

Acts 2:42-45
⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Some saw that as a model for all church communities throughout history. Some even saw it as an early example of communism. But it’s clear that Luke, the writer, was describing a historical situation. You can see in the rest of the New Testament, that people were kind to others, but they didn’t all sell their property. Even here, Luke wasn’t necessarily saying that everyone sold their property and possession to give to anyone who had need. For example, if you hear that the people in East London opened their homes to those who had lost their homes in the World War 2 bombings, you wouldn’t necessarily mean that every single person did. You’d just be making the point that something unusual happened and that this was the sort of thing that people did.

Later in the New Testament, you can see that though there was a social welfare system, guidelines were put in place to stop people from taking advantage of it. In Acts 6, the first deacons were appointed to ensure that help was distributed fairly.  In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul makes it clear that people who are unwilling to work should not expect to be provided for. And in 1 Timothy 5, Paul states that elderly widows should be cared for by their families, not by the church. An exception is those who had no family to care for them and who had a history of caring for others.

So, broadly speaking, we are asked to love our neighbors. There’s nothing revolutionary about that. It goes right back to the early chapters of the Old Testament:

Leviticus 19:18
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

And we shouldn’t just think of our own community as our neighbors. The Parable of the Good Samaritan was spoken in response to someone who asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor”. It’s amazing how such a simple story can have such a huge cultural impact. It’s often quoted even by people who aren’t explicitly Christian. I remember watching a show about Tony Blair some years ago, and Labour deputy leader, John Prescott casually remarked that Tony Blair “wasn’t one to pass by on the other side”. He was able to use that expression because it was so well known.

Luke 10:30-33
³⁰ 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. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ 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.”

And, of course, the Samaritans is a charity that offers emotional support and works towards suicide prevention. While the original Samaritans charity is based in the UK and Ireland, its mission has expanded globally.

Though the parable of the good Samaritan has a simple practical lesson, it’s sometimes also viewed in spiritual terms. Jesus found us in a desparete condition and came to rescue us.

Here’s a hymn that you wouldn’t generally hear in evangelical churches. I associate it with the liberal/modernist wing of Protestantism. My chief problem with them is that they seem to have lost confidence in the inspiration of the Bible and only focus on the ethical teachings of Jesus. Many of them disbelieve the miracles, resurrection, and divinity of Jesus. You’ll even get some who deny the existence of heaven and hell and of God himself. But we shouldn’t assume that everyone in the liberal/modernist wing of Protestantism hold such radical views. It’s a spectrum. And if I was attacked by robbers, maybe a nice liberal/modernism clergyman might come to my rescue while my evangelical friends pass by on the other side 😀.