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When Jesus said we should love our neighbors, we believe he meant all of them. This is rooted in our understanding that all people are created in God’s image and should be treated with respect, dignity, and love. One major challenge in our world right now is the inability actually to love people who are different from us.
Several years ago, I was asked to attend a press conference in Columbus to speak against a previous president’s attempt to place a travel ban on all Muslims attempting to enter the United States. I had no problem doing so because such a ban went against some of my deepest convictions about what it means to follow Jesus. I spoke with passion in defense of Muslims who were trying to enter the United States.
But then, as I drove the 40 or so miles back to Springfield, something suddenly occurred to me. I didn’t have a single Muslim friend or acquaintance. It struck me as a bit hypocritical to speak so strongly in defense of Muslims when I hadn’t made any attempts to befriend them.
When I arrived back at the church, I Iooked up the phone number for one of the two mosques in town and asked to speak with the Imam. That led to a series of shared experiences and friendships that have deeply enriched both congregations and our greater community.
Despite some consequential differences in how we viewed Jesus and the prophet Mohammed, I discovered we still had much in common. Both felt a duty to love our neighbors and care for those in need. Their congregation helped us pack meals for Ukrainian refugees, and later, we joined them during Ramadan to pack hygiene kits for those in our community without shelter. I have discovered them to be among the most generous and kind people in our community. Occasionally, the Imam and I have met over tea to talk about the joys and difficulties of leading our respective congregations. He is no longer merely my neighbor. He is my dear friend.
We have had similar experiences with many of the undocumented immigrants who have found residence in Springfield. It shocks me when I hear people who claim to love Jesus talk disparagingly about people who have fled violence and poverty so that they can care for their families. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for differences in immigration policy. Still, it does mean that none of us should support a policy not shaped by the spirit of hospitality and neighbor-love highlighted in Jesus’ powerful story about the good Samaritan.
I would love everyone to share the joy and peace I have found in Jesus. A shared faith in Jesus sustained many immigrant and refugee friends on their journey here. While my Mulsim friends and I do not have a shared understanding of Christ, we do have a common belief that all people are created in God’s image and should be treated with a sense of compassion and dignity. We don’t minimize our differences, but we also do not let them become barriers to friendship and mutual support.
These are just two examples, but the list of categories where we “other” each other can be endless. Many of us are weary of “othering” people based on their race, ethnicity, religion, political party, or sexual identity. We sense that there is a hunger for a better way to live, a longing to live in a just world where people are kind to one another no matter who they are. We believe that this is actually a longing for the kingdom of heaven and that the way into it runs straight through Jesus. If this longing resonates with you, come do life with us at Central, where each and every neighbor is a potential friend.
