Neighboring: What is in it for me?


Current American culture has to be convinced to do nearly anything and the question being asked is "what is in it for me?" 

When it comes to being an engaged neighbor, there is an abundance of research on this subject. 

Knowing your immediate neighbors can decrease crime where you live by 60 percent. Subdivisions where neighboring is done well see lower crime rates, improved resale values, and help for neighbors that need it.

Knowing your neighbors can improve your physical and mental health in a number of different ways. One example is that chronic loneliness has the same physical impact as smoking one pack of cigarettes a day.

Taking steps to get to know your neighbors can lead to discovering new skills and abilities in you and your neighbors. That often leads to more community volunteerism and leadership. 

Getting to know your neighbors is also a preventative step for future problems. If you have a relationship with your neighbor you are more likely to be to work out problems.

One study in 2019 even showed that being neighbor relationships improves trust which actually has an economic impact (as much as $16,000 a year).

I also have a number of actual examples where knowing your neighbors saved lives! Your neighbors are often your first-responders when problems arise.

However, church members that are asking "what is in it for me" are asking the wrong question. Jesus is very clear on this matter: we are to love our neighbors. So the question for believers is not "what is in it for me" but rather "what can I do to love my immediate neighbors better."

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