I guess I am confused.
We as followers of Jesus are told to love our neighbor as we love yourself, yet I do not see that in action including my own guilty self.
Who is our neighbor?
In the story of The Good Samaritan....this exchange is made with Jesus.
He knows he must follow the Jewish law – love your neighbor as yourself – and so he asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” ... When Jesus asks which of these three – the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan – acted as a neighbor to the robbed man, the lawyer answers “The one who showed him mercy.”
The one who showed him mercy was the Samaritan. Samaritans were often looked down upon by the Jews in Israel so Jesus using a Samaritan as the "good" guy in this story, it hits home hard to those listening
So who is our neighbor?
It's literally your neighbor and it's every single person on the planet.
From women, to men, to LGBTQ people, to foreigners (both legal and illegal), to people of other religions, to the good, to the evil, to those serving in prisons...it's quite literally every single person on this planet. Blacks, whites, Natives, atheists, Communists...I could go on and on describing people, but I would hope that everyone would be sufficient for us to understand.
Yet, we are divided unless something major happens in which we unite (think 9/11 or a tornado ravaging an area, or a hurricane). Why does it take that?
But I am like you, too.
At what point is too much?
I mean, if we let everyone into this country, eventually it will ruin the lifestyle that we have including those who are coming in.
If we love even those who wish to over throw our country and change it in the likeness of somewhere else, we could very well lose the freedom to love everyone, to help others.
Where does righteous anger and action come into play where we are not violating our faith while still protecting it and our lives?
I don't know the answer to that question.
I do know that my own personal feelings will not change the way I treat people. In fact, I am more inclined to be short, rude, and angry with those closest to me like family and friends than I am to the...well, the Samaritan.
And I am willing to be that how I treat others will not change my country very much before I die...I dunno.
But I do know it's a battle that wages within my heart and I hope that when I fail or am wrong it's because I am loving too much.
And that my actions turn the eyes and focus on Jesus and not away from Him.
