Neighbor

When I think of the word “neighbor” two people come to mind. The first is Jesus, who taught who our neighbor is in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the second is Mr. Rogers, from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. I have shared with you before about Mr. Rogers in a previous blog post, but I thought I would share with you again. One of the most iconic episodes from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood took place in 1969, well before I was born.

It was a hot day in the neighborhood and Mister Rogers was soaking his feet in a small kiddie pool. When Officer Clemmons arrives, Rogers invites him to do the same. The two men then sit and sing, their feet in the cool hose-water. This might not seem like much until you realize that the scene aired in 1969 and Officer Clemmons was black. By inviting Officer Clemmons to join him, Mr. Rogers broke a well-known racial barrier. Pools were segregated at the time, something with which Rogers, an avid swimmer, wholeheartedly disagreed. Seeing as he had a position to make a statement, Rogers created the scene to make a statement about shared humanity. It’s since become one of the most iconic episodes in the entire series, and was replicated years later when Clemmons returned and shared a foot soak in the kiddie pool again in 1991.

Growing up with Mr. Rogers shaped my understanding of who my neighbor is. I began to look past our differences and looked toward our shared humanity. I believe this is what Jesus was trying to teach the Pharisees in his story of the Good Samaritan. Many “good” people walked by and left a dying man on the side of the road, but a Samaritan man stopped and took care of him. In this parable Jesus was teaching the Pharisees (and us) that what makes a person a “good” neighbor is the content of their heart not their perceived character.

This Sunday, April 23rd, we will begin a new sermon series called, “We Love Our Neighbors”. This is a series where we will encourage one another to live into the mission and vision for our church, which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ from the transformation of the world by inviting, growing, serving, and sharing in the LOVE of Christ. Join us for worship at either 8:30 or 10:45 AM as we begin this journey together.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church