The Complexities of Loving Our Neighbor
We’ve heard it drilled into our heads since we were children. The common notion and motif of “do to others as you would have them do to you.” That, or some variation thereof. Many of us who grew up in churches, temples, and even synagogues understand the underlying principle comes straight from the Bible, in the Book of Leviticus.
The most famous iteration of this principle comes from the mouth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He repeats the command in the New Testament, multiple times in multiple gospels.
The original command comes from Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
Love Doesn’t Wrong
Jesus’s mention of this commandment is of the highest importance for believers because He calls it the second greatest commandment, following loving God with all your heart. In another way, we can say that loving your neighbor as yourself is how you love God with all your heart. Because love does no wrong to a neighbor. If you do no wrong to your fellow man, you’re fulfilling this commandment.
Who Is My Neighbor?
I come from the Christian movement that believes the Torah is still in effect in moral principle and religious feast observation, but the truth is, many Christians are following this command fine. And if they’re following it, it means they are following Torah.
These wars between sects of believers need to stop in our day.
How can we say we love our neighbor when we’re berating them for disagreeing with our worldview?
Is an atheist your neighbor?
What about a leftist or conservative?
How about a Muslim, Buddhist, Mormon, Pagan, or Jehovah’s Witness?
Agreement with doctrines means nothing because we are all made in the image of God.
But They’re Wrong!
Someone can be wrong about something, or something can be a matter of opinion. Should it divide us?
Absolutely not!
I have acquaintances and even family who believe that God created a flat earth.
But I believe the evidence suggests we live on a giant sphere.
Does this mean I can berate them for not understanding physics? The answer is no, because not only is that unfruitful, but I also must admit I don’t understand the laws of physics to a satisfactory grasp of why the universe works like it does. I think I’d be a bit of a hypocrite to appeal to authority on this issue if I don’t understand it all myself.
Best to leave that subject alone and love each other like Christ loved us.
The Divides
There are so many divides in this life.
Political.
Economics.
Religious.
Gender.
Hard and soft magic systems.
And the list goes on.
Religion, Religion
In a religious context, loving our neighbor means showing them respect and dignity, even when our views don’t align. If I believe shaving is not a sin, while another person sees the command differently without regard to context, there’s no sense in dividing over it. We’re both serving God, to the best of our knowledge and in sincerity of heart.
Poly-ticks, Sorry, Politics
In a political context, my views on economic policy and personal responsibility shouldn’t trump a leftist’s views, because they’re coming at it from a different point of view. We don’t have to agree with each other to debate the issues with respect. If I can feel I can own my guns without government intervention apart from what is logical, they have every right to feel like guns should be regulated further than they are. Maybe their life involved a traumatic event involving a gun, and it shaped their worldview. We can’t assume another person is wrong because they come at something from a different angle.
Let’s be mature enough to realize humanity is full of contrast.
Mr., Ms., and Mrs.
One of the longstanding divides in humanity has been with us since the time of the fall of Adam and Eve. Gender. Men and women. By their nature, they aren’t congruent.
Men are distinguished at certain things, and women are great at certain things. Though I can’t lump us all into a box, because humanity is a race of colors instead of black and white alone. Some women are skilled at fixing a car, and some men are great at cooking savory meals.
But the genders are complementary opposites.
To love your neighbor as a man when dealing with a woman, you respect that she is viewing the world through a different lens than you. You have a certain way of thinking. She has a certain way of thinking.
God gave men a masculine and expressive nature. But that nature can always warp, especially in the days of “red pill” masculinity. Contrary to what a certain subgroup of vocal people would have you believe, women are people. It’s no secret that God designed men to want a woman’s beauty, but from a biblical standpoint, a woman must be beautiful within. A fantastic way to love your neighbor if one is male and they are the opposite gender is to respect their space and personhood. Treat them with genuine kindness and the heart of Christ, who treated women with respect in a world where men ruled most things.
As a woman, a terrific way to respect a man as a neighbor is to understand the wishes of a husband. This would, of course, apply to a wife instead of a single woman.
I’m not someone who believes men can just rule over any and every woman out there. That would be ridiculous. Men are the head of the woman in their home. Not as a tyrant, but as a loving, kind leader. As far as society goes, it’s fair to say things are out of control.
When a woman is dealing with a man in a platonic sense, such as work or everyday living, it is best to respect yourself by staying modest. This is loving your neighbor of the opposite gender because the focus on such interactions need not be based on the way things go, so to speak.
Understanding each other as different souls in different vessels is a complex issue.
Does He Exist? Or Not?
But something even more complex lies at the heart of the neighbor issue.
Theists and atheists.
To an atheist, belief in gods, or God Himself, is a ridiculous notion unless their standard of proof is satisfied. There can be no miracles with them since, in that viewpoint, everything is based upon rational, empirical evidence.
To a theist, miracles are everywhere. The universe, which is full of wondrous glories like black holes, shows the power of an infinite God, who set the Earth far enough away from those objects to ensure we still live. The sun’s distance and size are perfect for life. And the list goes on.
What about supernatural experiences?
We can’t dismiss these. Sometimes God guides us by signs and wonders, little coincidences, or winks. I’ve heard stories of people in car crashes feeling as though their car teleported away from an oncoming truck and seeing angels.
The atheist will shrug these off, sometimes saying we believe in “sky dads and fairy tales.”
As a theist, I would say the world is full of magic, you just need to open your eyes.
These worldviews are so opposed to each other, it’s hard to see the other side without our biases.
I struggle with how someone could be an atheist. The world is too beautiful for this all to be random chance. But I will not call someone a fool for not believing in Yahweh. He’s already done that Himself in the Scriptures. My job is to love them enough to show Yeshua to them. How would He deal with these people? Would He have prerequisites? Or would He love them in their ignorance?
The Jesus we see in the gospels is a Messiah that loves, heals, and changes the way humans interact. Someone slapped you? Let him do it twice. Professor Dave insulted you? Bless him.
Okay, He Exists, but My God Is Better Than Your God
And loving our neighbor gets even more complex when dealing with theists and other theists.
Muslims believe the Bible has been corrupted, and that the Quran is the true holy set of scriptures to follow. But I’ve met some kind people who are Muslim. They’re still my neighbors.
Buddhists believe in a certain moral code of ethics, all to lead to the path of enlightenment and the true dharma for the world. I don’t agree with them, but some of their principles are great. I used to be friends with a Buddhist. No hate there.
What about Christians versus Christians?
I follow the Torah that still applies today. A Christian might accuse me of “depending on the Law” for my salvation. I would respond, “No, I’m depending on the Law to show me how to treat my fellow man and keep myself in God’s good graces.”
It gets even deeper still. I don’t agree with Seventh Day Adventists on some things. I love that they honor the Sabbath, but I don’t believe Ellen White was a prophetess of God.
Could I be wrong?
Sure.
But I can still treat them with kindness and listen to their viewpoints.
What about a Mormon who claims there is another set of Scriptures about people in the western hemisphere? Who says Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and the Bible is correct as far as we translate it right? That perhaps God was a man before He was God.
I’ve read the Book of Mormon, and I find it to be strikingly like the Bible. But it differs in a few key areas, and I must admit that makes me uncomfortable.
Does that mean I’ll treat an LDS missionary with contempt?
Nope.
They’re still my neighbors.
Same goes for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Methodists, etc.
Our neighbor is anyone who God made in His image. Not whoever we like.
Criminal Proceedings
Regarding crime, sometimes loving our neighbor involves making tough decisions, like killing a serial killer. Saving many lives is a noble course of action. Some people will never repent. These are what the Bible calls the wicked.
An alcoholic who repents and comes back to his or her senses is not wicked.
A child abuser with a heart bent on evil only is wicked.
A liar who stops his lying is to be praised.
And a rapist who commits a heinous act should be executed, and this is loving our neighbor that nips wickedness in the bud, preventing further problems and trauma.
When in Doubt, Love Them
Loving our neighbor isn’t always easy. But it’s the right thing to do.
Loving our neighbor sounds so simple, so easy.
But sometimes it’s a tricky thing to do.
I hope this article has given you some things to ponder upon. Prayerfully consider these points as you walk with the Messiah.
Remember that when you doubt how to love your neighbor, you need only look at yourself. How would I want others to treat me?
But most of all, how would Jesus treat me?
