neighbours

For some of us, when a new neighbour moves in we feel threatened by this neighbour & view them with suspicion & distrust. Instead of going next door & welcoming them, and sitting down and hearing their story, we dismiss them, they are weird, they are foreign, they’re aliens to our country & to our way of life.

We take much satisfaction in labelling our new neighbour,

that way we never have to put in the effort to go next door, we don’t have to bake a cake or listen to their undoubtedly boring life story.

That way if we really don’t like them we can stand in our property lobbing rocks & insults  over the fence,

shouting louder to drown out any undoubtedly deceitful response. Hoping eventually to drive them away.

 

So that we can return to our  life, the way it was,  resting peacefully knowing a foreign threat no longer is there,

Content

Unchanged

Unchallenged

 

Or of course you could take that cake next door, invite that person in, sit with them, hear their story & and know that your life has been enriched by the experience of others.

 

Part of a series of posts reflecting on the release of Rob Bell’s Love Wins book, they are, love wins, neighbours, bagged & tagged, you want answers?!, and Love doesn’t win: a sad tale of two men.