Who Is My Neighbor? (02/21/2026)

I was away from home for two weeks, with my brother and his family, and came home the day after his funeral. Between the winter cold and my own grief, I was keeping pretty much to myself. I noticed my neighbor’s shade didn’t go up at the usual time. I told myself she must be traveling. Then last evening a friend told me that my neighbor had fallen and been badly injured and was living with her daughter. And I realized I had not been a very good neighbor.

I instantly thought of Jesus’ conversation with a scholar of the law who was challenging Jesus and Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus defined “neighbor” as one who recognizes another’s need and actively seeks to help. I had totally missed my neighbor’s need and chalked up her absence to travel rather than physical injury.  While it turns out I was out of town when she had fallen, I realized I still should have reached out when I noticed something different.

I remembered a family from 50 years ago who upon learning of my needs while dealing with cervical cancer showed up at my home for several days in a row, swooped up my 1, 2, and 3 year olds, and cared for them during the day while my husband was at work. We weren’t that close, but they heard of our needs, and they were there, doing what they could do. And it made a huge difference for me and my family.  

I remembered moving to Beloit, Wisconsin in late October 1973, nearly nine months pregnant with our son. We moved on Friday and my husband had to go out of town for business for a week. And out of nowhere, a woman and her daughter appeared, introduced themselves as my neighbors, and came that first week frequently to check on how we were doing. The woman would visit with me while her daughter would play with my two children ages 2 and 1. It was a God-send because it helped me feel welcome, it assured me that even though I was in a new community and my husband was away, I wasn’t alone. It made a huge difference to me and my family.

This morning, as I brought in the day on the porch with my LORD, I recalled learning about my neighbor and prayed for her and her recovery. And then I admit that I prayed for myself, that I would be a better “neighbor” who goes the extra mile, checks on my neighbor when something appears out of the ordinary and does whatever I can to help another in need.

As we continue our journeys in faith, hope and love, let us commit to being present, to recognizing needs or potential needs, and to checking on one another out of loving concern. Let us be good neighbors who care for each other, pray for each other, and love each other as Christ commanded us to be.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.