Proverbs 11:12
It's stupid to say bad things about your neighbors. If you are sensible, you will keep quiet.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I grew up in a very tightly-knit neighborhood. For the most part, we all loved each other like family… and some of us were! In a one-block radius from my house were the homes of my grandparents, my great-aunt, my cousins, and my “Aunt Martha” and her parents. And while not related by blood, the Bakers, Baileys, Mrs. Butler… and later – the Davises were very much extended family.
When I was a child, we were in and out of each other’s houses at all hours of the night and day. It was nothing for a next-door neighbor to appear in their pajamas and bathrobe during breakfast and sit down at our table – or to drop in for any other meal. We scarcely even knocked before entering and knew “the lay” of each other’s houses. When something would happen to one family, the others would join forces to offer support – or to celebrate.
But some of the neighbors feuded. One lady got upset, supposedly because another neighbor kept her shovel and hoe leaned against a shed in the yard. The lady thought it was unsightly… and she said so! Others were quick to point out what they deemed “eyesores” to the neighborhood… and to criticize and complain if something wasn’t to their liking.
All of this pettiness was silly… and it really did nothing except make the people involved look a little ridiculous. And I have to admit, many of the biases I struggle to overcome today are directly due to the influences of my youth. When the ladies sat in porch swings on summer evenings and talked about someone they didn’t like, I decided I didn’t like that person or family, either. When I overheard them belittle a certain person as “poor” or “low class,” I decided it must be true.
These were not bad people… I loved my wonderful neighbors. But they were misguided in their thinking and actions on more than one occasion - as human beings often are - and I was a child who was watching (and learning). And that is the lesson. Someone is watching US! Someone is learning from our words and actions. Someone is becoming bigoted or biased if we are demonstrating this. Someone is learning to dislike a certain group or class of people, if that’s what we show them. Someone is deciding that it’s okay to stick your nose in where it doesn’t belong and tell our friends and neighbors how to run their lives and even decorate their houses and yards, if that’s what they see us doing!
I will say this once again… people are watching… and they are looking to us as Christians and deciding whether or not they want to follow Jesus based on how we behave! Being a Christian carries a huge responsibility in this regard. When we consider that every word we speak… the tone in our voice… every action we demonstrate… can sway someone toward or away from Jesus Christ, then even feuding with your neighbor over a hoe and a shovel becomes a big deal - and stupid!
Just how sensible are you willing to be for Christ? Can you bite your tongue when necessary and keep quiet in the face of all sorts of challenges? Are you ready to go “whole hog” for your faith? Are you ready to be the real deal in every way and demonstrate love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, humility, compassion, and more toward those you encounter? Are you ready to really be the hands and feet of Jesus and set high standards for yourself and those around you? Just what sort of “neighbor” will you be? You never know who is watching!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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