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Who Is Your Neighbor?

by | Sep 15, 2020 | Notes from the Executive Director

A Reflection on the Good Samaritan

Who is your neighbor? Where is your neighborhood? Who are you called to serve? Where are you called to seek justice, show mercy and walk in humility? 

I recently listened to Pastor Nate Gangwer speak about the story of the Good Samaritan. He dove into how we know who our neighbors are and how we are to serve them well. What an inspiring message that can be found in the first 15 minutes of this video. (Link)

Pastor Nate says that “the one who showed him mercy is his neighbor.” The one who was willing to change his plans, get dirty, take on a financial burden, and cross cultural boundaries, that is the one we call a neighbor. 

Mercy at its core is showing compassion and forgiveness. In the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10, compassion and forgiveness are central. The Good Samaritan shows mercy through his willingness to change his plans, get dirty, take on a financial burden, and cross cultural boundaries. It is central to the story that someone was willing to show mercy in this way. 

I struggle to see how often I am truly willing to show mercy in this same way. How often do I actually go out of my way to seek justice, show mercy and walk in humility? I am convicted. 

Our theme for this year at Love INC is to move into the neighborhood. I wonder how often we are willing to show mercy to those living right next door to us. How often do we choose to change our plans and go out of our way to love someone in a way that Jesus would? 

I encourage and challenge you to take inventory of your willingness to show mercy in this same way. I challenge you to take a deep dive into your experiences to notice your willingness to change your plans, get dirty, take on a financial burden, and cross cultural boundaries in order to love others. 

Pastor Nate ends his message by saying “seek out those who are suffering and hurting and be with them. Use your resources to seek justice, show mercy, and in humility see all that Jesus did for us and go and do likewise for others.” Move into your neighborhood and show the love of Christ, for when we do, the Kingdom of Heaven is seen on earth.

It’s quite incredible that all of this happens almost every day, and every week, by diligent volunteers who embody our diligence core value.

Not only is there a large variety of “things to do,” but also a deep investment by those who say yes to volunteering. Most volunteers serve weekly, some even daily, spending hundreds of hours donating the gift many of us hold most tightly – the gift of time.

In 2023 alone, 420 volunteers invested 49,120 hours – a value of $1.5 million! 

Our core mission is to love, serve and connect with dignity as we follow Jesus Christ closely, watching how he transforms lives – and we often highlight the transformation happening through our Life Skills Program.

What we often forget to highlight is that God is also transforming lives through volunteerism, giving community members purpose, friendship, creativity, and belonging. Here at Love, we believe everyone has something to offer.

If you are a volunteer, at Love Your Neighbor or elsewhere, thank you for this priceless gift!

Check out this volunteer video to learn more about volunteering at Love Your Neighbor.