EDITORIAL
Hero Maker | Dave Ferguson
As a leader, what do you want life to be like in post-election America? And specifically, what do you want for your neighborhood and city going forward?
In Love Your Enemies, Harvard social scientist and Christ follower Arthur C. Brooks offers us an unconventional prescription. To bring America together, he says, the data tells us we shouldn’t try to force agreement. Instead, he challenges leaders to act in a profoundly different way.
His unusual but simple challenge is this: “Love your neighbor” (Matt. 22:39).
Brooks goes on to present research both to the believing and unbelieving world that the single most powerful act to make life better is to love your neighbor.
What does that look like?
Michael is young, single, liberal and new to the neighborhood. Otis is a generation older, a longtime conservative and was one of the first to move into this now established neighborhood. Michael noticed Otis sitting in a lawn chair in his driveway. He went over to ask him about the community. Otis invited him in for a cup of coffee and they chatted for nearly an hour.
The conversation ended with Otis saying, “Let’s do this again.” These chats became a weekly routine for two people who could not have been more opposite. As Otis aged, Michael would mow his lawn and take him to appointments with his doctor. That walk across the street resulted in a 15-year friendship between two neighbors who had remarkable differences, but allowed love to bridge the gap.
This is what Jesus did. This is what Jesus asks us to do.
My brother Jon and I have summarized how Jesus practiced loving his neighbors in the B.L.E.S.S. practices, five simple ways to love your neighbor and just maybe change the world.
Begin With Prayer.
When Jesus started his earthly mission, the first thing he did was go out to a mountain and pray. Praying for your neighbors is both how you discover your mission and how you live out the mission.
Listen.
Asking questions and then listening was central to Jesus’ life and teachings. He asked way more questions than he ever answered. True listening may be the kindest and most loving gift we can give a neighbor.
Eat.
Over and over we find Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners. Sharing a meal (or a cup of coffee) is what moves any relationship past acquaintance toward friendship.
Serve.
Jesus told us he came to serve. Once you begin praying for, listening to, and eating with your neighbors, there is a good chance that you’ll discover how you can best serve them.
Share Your Story.
And when people were ready, Jesus would share his story. Gospel proclamation is very important, but maybe it doesn’t have to be first.
To make loving your neighbor easier, we have created the free BLESS app, which can provide you with the names of your neighbors and will help you keep track of your use of the B.L.E.S.S. practices. For just a small cost, churches have the ability to see how everyone in your church is using the B.L.E.S.S. practices.
Jesus and Arthur C. Brooks are right. If we want to change our neighborhood and country in this post-election era, it starts with leaders like you and me setting an example and loving our neighbors.