Who is My Neighbor Now?

If you wish to understand the importance of neighboring, begin not with programs or policies, but with people. Ask yourself: Who lives near you? Do you know their names? Their stories? The joys they hold quietly, and the burdens they carry alone? For many, the answer is no. Not because they are unkind, but because they are busy, afraid, or simply unaccustomed to noticing.

Yet the door to a renewed community swings on the small hinge of attention.

In America today, many say they feel anxious, divided, and lonely. They hunger for connection but settle for distraction. They desire belonging but often retreat behind screens, schedules, and fences. A nation so full of houses still suffers a shortage of neighbors. But it does not have to stay that way.

When Jesus taught about the neighbor, He did not give a definition—He gave a story. A man beaten on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite who passed by. And a Samaritan who stopped, bandaged, carried, and paid. Love was not proven by sentiment, but by sacrifice. The Samaritan’s question was not “Who deserves my care?” but “What can I do for the one in front of me?”

The same question still stands. But many of us are like the lawyer who asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” We are looking for loopholes. Surely the jerk living next door is not my neighbor!

Neighboring in our time is not less urgent than in the days Jesus was walking the Earth. It may be more so. For what we face is not merely personal loneliness, but a fraying social fabric—streets where fear grows faster than trust, and communities where difference breeds suspicion. In such a world, neighboring is not a hobby; it is a light in darkness.

What should motivate you? Not guilt. Not performance. Not the hope of reward or reputation. Let compassion move you—compassion that sees, stops, and stays. Let gratitude move you, for you are made in the image of a God who draws near. And let hope move you, because every act of neighboring is a seed planted in the soil of a weary world.

Why is it important? Because love of neighbor is not a suggestion for peaceful times—it is the remedy for broken ones. When you draw near to those around you, fear loses ground, trust takes root, and the community you long for begins to appear—house by house, heart by heart, block by block.

Written by David L. Burton

MORE INFORMATION

Take the Engaged Neighbor pledge and become part of a movement! The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge at https://nomoregoodneighbors.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special invitations to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton via emal at dburton541@yahoo.com.