It's always easier when you know your neighbor

June 12, 2010
If we are expected to live by two basic commandments, Love God and Love your neighbor, and I believe that we are, then it seems to me that it is always easier to love your neighbor if you know your neighbor. I also believe that everyone is our neighbor.
I drove to Houston for my flight to Scotland, and spent the evening with my two dear friends, family, there. We are friends because of years of working and spending time together. We have become family through our years of association. We are close enough that they knew I wanted Indian food before leaving, even before I mentioned it. And this morning, homemade migas, my favorite. While I am sure that I will have great meals, and maybe even terrific breakfasts, I am fairly certain that I won’t have migas. Kat and Douglas are my friends, my family, my neighbors. And knowing them makes it easy to love them.
But seldom in our lives do we have the opportunity to spend decades building relationships. Most of our encounters probably brief, very brief. We come into contact with our neighbors in a real or virtual drive-by. And everyone is busy, and stressed, and no one has time for developing the connections that make neighbors. Maybe one of the thin places that we miss is connecting with our neighbor.
I spent four hours with a new neighbor, Maria. Maria is a Puerto Rican student studying medicine in Mexico, and in English no less. She was on her way to New York City for a fun week with friends. We talked about how much is ahead of her, how much is to come and the pressure to return home and give back what she has learned. Maria is a good Catholic girl, and we spent a few moments in prayer together, before she headed off to look for her own “thin places.” But if I hadn’t been looking for my neighbor, we may have missed one another.
Need to have my documents verified before leaving Newark. Next post from the other side of the pond.