Goodbye: I Love You, Neighbors!
By Rev. James Baird, Associate Pastor, San Marino Community Church
Do you love your next-door neighbor? This is a question that not many
people can truly answer ‘yes’. When I became a Christian, one of the first things I
learned is that Jesus commanded his followers to love their neighbors. He said
loving neighbors is just as important as loving God. When asked who exactly
qualifies as a neighbor, he was very clear that neighbors included everyone...not just
those next-door.
Neighborhoods and churches breed intimacy. My neighbors, by virtue of
living in close-proximity neighbors become acquainted in ways that no one else ever
will. For example, one day, a fire alarm went off next door, I ran over to help – false
alarm, thank goodness. This December, when Santa Claus drove by on the fire truck
(it’s a neighborhood tradition), I stood on the sidewalk with my neighbors, greeting
them with a “Merry Christmas.” They have heard my kids screaming and crying and
laughing. They’ve heard me yelling out the backdoor at my dog to stop barking. And
they know I’m not very good at bringing in my trashcans after pickup. Good or bad,
our proximity has bred a kind of intimacy.
But, the church has also facilitated something much more personal. San
Marino Community Church has not just brought me in proximity with neighbors of
all shapes and sizes. It has also helped me to do what seems so difficult in any other
context. I have gotten to know a community of people who love one another and
care for one another. It is not uncommon to find a church member visiting someone
in the hospital when they’re sick. Somehow, churches are able to consider all as
neighbors, and even better, as family.
So after four years in this community, this neighborhood of mine, I must
leave. My family and I are moving to Paso Robles very soon, as I start my new job as
Senior Pastor at Highlands Church in Paso Robles. In the process, I am realizing that
I will longer have more opportunities to get to know my kind, wonderful neighbors
better. Yet, I’m so thankful that I’ve had my neighborhood, San Marino Community
Church and the whole surrounding community to experience the kind of love Jesus
preaches. As our family becomes the “new neighbors” in Paso Robles, I pray I can
take the lessons I’ve learned within the church and neighborhood and apply them. I
pray that I become more bold, and yet thoughtful as I learn, more and more, how to
love my neighbors.
First Draft
Goodbye: I Love You neighbors!
By James Baird
Do you love your next-door neighbor? This is a question that not many
people can truly say ‘yes’ to. My family and I are now packing our house for a move
to a new job in Paso Robles, where I’ll be the Senior Pastor at Highlands Church. In
the process, I am realizing that I have missed an opportunity to really love and be
loved by my next-door neighbors. They are all so wonderful and kind and friendly
and yet I feel I have missed an opportunity.
When I became a Christian, one of the first things I learned is that Jesus
commanded his followers to love their neighbors. In fact, when a religious leader
asked Jesus what was the most important part of life, Jesus said loving neighbors is
just as important as loving God.
When Jesus was later asked who exactly qualifies as a neighbor, he was very
clear that neighbors included everyone...not just next-door neighbors.
For the past four years I have lived in a fantastic neighborhood on the border
of San Marino and San Gabriel. In that short time, I have gradually come to know
our next-door neighbors. When a fire alarm went off one day in the neighbor’s
house, I came in to help. When Santa Claus drove by on the fire truck, I stood next to
them and said “Merry Christmas.” And, as I have now been saying goodbye to my
next-door neighbors, I wish I had worked harder to grow our relationship and
friendship.
In the story about the Good Samaritan, Jesus described a person who was
wounded and lying nearly dead on the side of the road. No one wanted to help him.
But, an out-of-towner from Samaria stopped, cleaned his wounds, put him on his
donkey, took him to an inn, and then left after arranging to pay whatever expenses
were then incurred. Jesus urged all people to live life like the Samaritan. Jesus
wanted us to love our neighbors with this extravagance and selflessness and
intimacy.
Neighborhoods and churches both naturally breed intimacy by virtue of
proximity. My neighbors, have gotten to know me in ways that no one else ever will.
They have heard my kids screaming and crying and laughing. They’ve heard me
yelling out the backdoor for my dog to stop barking. And they know I’m not very
good at bringing in my trashcans after pickup. Our proximity has bred a kind of
intimacy. But, the church has facilitated something much more personal. The
church in San Marino has not just brought me in proximity with neighbors of all
shapes and sizes. It has also helped me to do what seems so difficult in any other
context. I have really gotten to know people from all over the city on a personal
level. It is a community of people who love one another and care for one another. It
is not uncommon to find a person from church visiting someone in the hospital
when they’re sick. Somehow, churches are able to take ‘neighbor’ beyond a
relationship of proximity; which is what Jesus commanded.
As I move out of this neighborhood and into another, I pray I can take the
lessons I’ve learned within the church and neighborhood and apply them. I pray
that I become more bold and thoughtful and that I learn, more and more, how to
love my neighbors.
James Baird is leaving his position as Associate Pastor at San Marino Community
Church to be the Senior Pastor at Highlands Church in Paso Robles beginning
February 5th.