Who is my neighbor?

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My friend, Rick Lobs, gives an excellent runimation on today's gospel reading from Luke: The Good Samaritan (10:25-37). One of the things that caught my attention was the fact that Jesus and his disciples had recently visited a Samaritan village. The Samaritans, neighbors to Israel, had rejected them, and James and John were so ticked at them for this, they want to call down fire from heaven to consume them! (Truly, their names are "sons of thunder" for a reason!) So, the disciples wanted to pour coals of fire upon their "neighbors".

At then end of Rick's rumination, he challenges us with a list of "who is our neighbor" questions. I quote his blog:

Are both George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin neighbors?

Are Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaida neighbors?
Are Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson neighbors?
Are the folks at liberal MSNBC our neighbor? How about conservative Fox News?
Are those bishops responsible for the bleed out of the Episcopal Church neighbors?
Are illegal aliens, the undocumented, neighbors?
Is Edward Snowden our neighbor?
What about the guy or gal at the intersection with the “God bless” sign?
Is the homosexual couple down the street our neighbor?
Is President Barak Obama our neighbor? What about President George Bush?
Is the Pope our neighbor?  Southern Baptists?
Are Liberals our neighbor” How about the Tea Party?

I repeatedly looked through this list of questions and "ruminated" about how often I might be called upon to be their neighbor. It's not very likely for most of those listed. For me, my neighbor lives down the hill in the projects.* Yes, my neighbor lives down the street but also right next door. And, even closer, my neighbor lives in the same house. When I think of showing mercy to "my neighbor" I may not be called on to pick them up and carry them to a hospital, pay for their medical bills, and go back to visit them and make sure they're OK. In reality, I do not have the means to do that. But, I do have within my means the way to show mercy: forgiveness. Do I, will I ... forgive my neighbor ... as I have been forgiven. Oh, my. Not easy ... especially when the neighbor lives in the same house and is a member of our family! Our hearts may want to go immediately to those hot coals! Yet, we can train our hearts to go to forgiveness. Forgiveness shows the mercy and loving-kindness that we have received so freely, abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine ... from our Father. Are we not to give as we have received?

Those people that Rick asked if they are our neighbor ... I may never meet them or see them on the side of a road, but I do meet them all the time in the paper, on the news, or on the internet. Will I step over them onto another article? Will I pass by them onto another webpage? Or, maybe ... will I send up a prayer to my Father in heaven, "God bless N. May God intervene and interfere in N's life and by the power of His Holy Spirit bring and keep N. in right relationship with Him, to change N's  character and destiny. AMEN.**" That is being a Good Samaritan.

*Why did we ever name a community a "project"? Not a name that instills hope or success. But, that's another post.
**"God bless you" definition by Dr. Nancy Heche