Comments on: Who Is My Neighbor? https://www.dwightzscheile.com/who-is-my-neighbor/ Speaker, Author and Consultant Fri, 29 Aug 2025 04:39:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Dwight Zscheile https://www.dwightzscheile.com/who-is-my-neighbor/#comment-43 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:04:59 +0000 https://dwightzscheile.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-43 Yes, an expanded definition of neighbor shouldn’t mean neglecting a congregation’s geographical neighbors–it is a both/and.

]]> By: Cam Harder https://www.dwightzscheile.com/who-is-my-neighbor/#comment-42 Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:52:58 +0000 https://dwightzscheile.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-42 Dwight,
I agree–great assessment of the dilemma. However many of our Canadian suburban churches are populated by people who live far from the church and neither connect with each other during weekdays, nor with the church’s geographical neighborhood at any time. Certainly an individual can connect with their personal “neighbours,” understood as those to whom they relate in some way. But it is hard for a congregation to connect with all the relationships its members have. If a congregation is to act corporately, together, it seems to me that one of its first responsibilities and opportunities is to get to know its geographic neighbours. What do you think?

]]> By: Eric C. Johnson https://www.dwightzscheile.com/who-is-my-neighbor/#comment-40 Sun, 31 May 2015 01:04:54 +0000 https://dwightzscheile.wordpress.com/?p=3#comment-40 It is interesting to me that Jesus never answers the question of the teacher of the law. Instead of telling the teacher who his neighbor is, Jesus describes what being a neighbor looks like, as if to say that my neighbor is anyone I come upon with a need. When I find this neighbor, I am to place the neighbor’s needs ahead of my priorities, to give sacrificially for the neighbor’s well-being, and make sure that neighbor is provided for in my absence. Even as I type this, the old Adam creeps up within me to tell me all the reasons why this should not be the case: that I need to take care of me and mine first and let others worry about themselves, that I don’t have enough to meet all the needs that I come across, and so on. It is the Law that Christ gives here, and it too much for me to bear.

The problem with the “missional” conversation in the ELCA is that it seems focused on that which humans have the capacity to do, and how we might convince people to get on board with that activity. However, when we dive deep into this parable, we find ourselves not really wanting to live to this standard, let alone convince anyone else to do the same. Without an experience of both Law and Gospel working on my life, I will never be free of my own sin nature to live for the sake of others. However, when I am reminded of my Baptism, when I receive the “for you” at the Table, and when the Spirit creates faith through the preaching of the Word (in whatever form that preaching takes), space is created within me to discern where God is ACTUALLY at work, not where my political, economic, or sociological preferences dictate God should be working. I am free to believe the words of Christ that I will do “greater things” then Christ’s original miracles, not just what my modern mindset believes is possible.

]]>