NEIGHBOR Jelena Ma was on the way to New York to attend her father’s funeral, when she learned that she was stuck in Detroit because her connected flight had been cancelled. Since she and her two children were stranded, she decided to do what few people will do, ask for help. Three of the people standing in line with her agreed to drive the 600 miles, driving in shifts to save time. One of the other drivers, Zach Rotter, said Ma and her children made it to the services on time. When asked about the trip, Rotter said, “I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Jelena to reach out to three complete strangers in a time of such need.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Strangers drive stranded woman 600 miles to her
father's funeral, Hebrews 13:2 (CEV) Be sure to welcome strangers into
your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed
angels as guests, without even knowing it. NEIGHBORS When road construction nearly drove Mukhtar Raja out of business, a local church saved the business, one tank of gas at a time. Raja’s convenience store was losing business because the construction project cut off many of the ways into the business. He was considering filing bankruptcy because he had seen a $100,000 reduction in business over several months. Just as he was about to give up, customers started showing up again. Raja said the first time the people showed up was right after a church service at a nearby church, so he knew someone must have mentioned it in the service. The pastor of the church says he asked church members to buy at least one tank of gas there as part of project to help people connect to the community. Raja, who is from Pakistan, and his wife, who is from Ukraine, said they feel like they have family in the United States because of the support they received. Raja added, “I’m very thankful to them. They basically woke me up…that good people exist out there. They don’t care what race you are…what religion you are, and that is unforgettable.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Strangers step up after business drops off for Shawnee owner, http://www.kctv5.com/story/23564783/strangers-step-up-after-business-drops-off-for-shawnee-owner, Accessed September 30, 2013. Romans 15:2 (NASB) (2) Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
NEIGHBORS A newspaper in Florida is reporting that when Ana Maria Moreta Folch had problems with her neighbor she took matters into her own hands and had their mobile home bulldozed. Moreta Folch told a heavy equipment operator that she owned the trailer that Maria Gottfried and her family was living in. Moreta Folch showed the contractor a key, and told him that no one was living there so she wanted the home destroyed. Gottfried came home during the demolition and called police. She said she had owned the trailer since 2006 and had never given her neighbor a key. The paper reported that according to the arrest warrant, Moreta Folch had the trailer bulldozed because people who had lived there were unsavory and she suspected that they had broken into her car. She told police she considered it a favor to her neighborhood. Moreta Folch was charged with criminal mischief and released on bond.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Home-Wrecker: Woman Doesn't Like Neighbors, Demolishes Their Home, By Krishnadev Calamur, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/09/311130629/home-wrecker-woman-doesnt-like-neighbors-demolishes-their-home, Accessed May 9, 2014 Proverbs 21:10 (HCSB) A wicked person desires evil; he has no consideration for his neighbor.
NEIGHBORS Swiss army helicopters crossed the border into France to scoop water from a lake to help thirsty cattle. The operation took people swimming and fishing in the lake completely by surprise. Even the authorities at the lake admitted they were shocked because no one had told them the Swiss were coming. The deputy mayor of the community, Christophe Mathez, said he had no idea the operation would occur and that no one had requested authorization before descending. Swiss authorities said they did ask the French Air Force for permission, but not local authorities. The Swiss stopped immediately when they realized there was a communication problem. Mathez said they were not mad at their neighbors, but they would need some clarification before the operation continued. —Jim L. Wilson and by Jim Sandell Swiss army makes incursion into France for water for cattle, By Maggy Donaldson, http://news.yahoo.com/swiss-army-makes-incursion-france-water-cattle-130422702.html, Accessed July 27, 2015. Zechariah 7:9 (NASB) “Thus has the LORD of hosts said,
'Dispense true justice and practice kindness and
compassion each to his brother;” NEIGHBORS A Houston man said his faith in humanity was restored after a stranger paid his car repair bill, which was nearly $2,000. Ken Burkitt said he was chatting with a man at the restaurant he managed at the time. He joked that his car had a problem and that he had to turn the steering wheel all the way to the right just to make it go straight. After listening, the man told Burkitt to take the car to a mechanic friend of his who worked across the street. The man told him not to worry about the bill. The next morning, he took the car to the mechanic and when he got the estimate, the mechanic said the bill was already taken care of. He said the stranger told him to take of whatever the car needed. Burkitt said he was shocked because the preceding year had been very difficult for him and a stranger took the worry of a huge bill off his shoulders. He added, “And it was for no reason other than just wanted to be a decent human being. It just restored my faith in humanity again.”—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell https://gma.yahoo.com/stranger-pays-mans-2-000-car-repair-bill-183152128--abc-news-topstories.html, Accessed
March 4, 2016. Luke 10:36 (HCSB) “Which of these
three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man
who fell into the hands of the robbers?” NEIGHBORS Jeannetta Presley created a “blessing box” in her front yard. The black cabinet contains non-perishable food items and basic toiletries. On the outside, Presley placed a sign that says, “Take what you need, bring what you can.” She said, “Everybody is just trying to survive. If I can give somebody a dinner for one evening, then I did my part for that day, or if I just added something that they didn’t have to make a dinner, then that’s okay too.” —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Woman creates "Blessing Box" to help her neighbors, By Audrey Kirby, http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/woman-creates-blessing-box-to-help-her-neighbors/ar-BBvnXQP, Accessed August 8, 2016. Philippians 2:4 (HCSB) “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” NeighborWhen Warren Haynes was twelve years old, his 70-year-old neighbor Connie Roberts, invited him have breakfast with her, followed by going to Sunday School at her local church. Haynes accepted her invitation, and began a long-time friendship with her, and a lifelong friendship with Jesus Christ. Discipleship Uncomplicated, Kindle, Loc 650-6 Today, Haynes is a follower of Jesus Christ and a Gospel Minister. His path to eternity began with a breakfast with a woman in her 70’s who was a real neighbor to him. –Jim L. Wilson For More information on Discipleship Uncomplicated, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1942587511/fm082-20 Luke 10:36–37 (HCSB) “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” NEIGHBOR Journalist
Anthony Breznican tells a heart grabbing story of the
day he met Fred Rogers, the creator and star of the
children’s television show, Mr. Rogers
Neighborhood. It was during a difficult time in
his life. “The future seemed hopeless. I was
struggling, lonely, dealing with a lot of broken
pieces within myself, and not adjusting well. I was a
student at the University of Pittsburgh but felt
rudderless.” As he
was getting into an elevator at the newspaper where he
worked, there stood Mr. Rogers, in the flesh. They
rode to the lobby in silence, but upon leaving the
elevator Breznican felt he had to say something. So he
just said, “thanks.” Fred Rogers simply said, “Did you
grow up as one of my television neighbors?” Mr.
Rogers sensed something was wrong and said, “Do you
want to tell me what is upsetting you.” He sat down on
the ledge and visited with Breznican for a few
minutes, maybe 5. For
Anthony Breznican, the television persona became very
real. Mr. Rogers was his neighbor. God
calls us to take time from our lives to treat even
those we don’t know as neighbors. They are all our
neighbors. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/23/mr-rogers-story-probably-make-you-cry/340111001/ Luke 10:25–37 (CSB) Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind;” and “your neighbor as yourself.” “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
NEIGHBORS A study conducted by
Pew Research found only 31 percent of Americans say
they know all or most of their neighbors. The number
is slightly higher for those living in rural areas
where 40% say they know the majority of their
neighbors. Since rural people tend to live further
from their neighbors, one insight from the study is
that the closer Americans live to their neighbors, the
less they know them.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/daily-digit-americans-dont-know-neighbors-144721502.html Psalm 119:10 (CSB) I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let
me wander from your commands.
On October 27, 2018, Robert Gregory Bowers walked into a Synagogue in Pittsburgh and opened fire, reportedly yelling that all Jews needed to die. When the shooting ended, twelve people were dead. For many, that is where the story ends. But not for all. Within one day of the tragedy, two organizations joined to establish a crowdfunding page, The Launch Good page, in order to support the victims and the rebuilding of the Synagogue. Within six hours, the Launch Good page reached its goal of $25,000.00. Not to be outdone, another crowdfunding page, launched through GoFundMe, reached $1,000,000.00 within four days. Of course, after every tragedy, there are people drawn to assist and people drawn to walk by. The twist here is that the crowdfunding pages I am referencing were all created by active Muslim organizations. The first was by two Muslim care organizations and the second was by an Iranian American who simply wished to help. Approximately 25% of the donors to these pages were Muslim, indicating that the pages were begun by Muslims to reach out to Jews, and received support from Good Samaritans of every background. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/muslims-raise-250000-for-pittsburgh-synagogue/ When Jesus was asked who his neighbor was, he responded with the story of a man who was robbed and beaten. The man lay on the side of the road awaiting assistance. A priest passed by without assisting as did a Levite. However, a Samaritan rescued him at great personal expense, placing the injured man on his own donkey, nursing him to health, and paying an innkeeper to care for him. Which of these is our neighbor? –Jim L. Wilson and Jeffrey Lemasters Tahir Luke 10:25–37 (CSB) “Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, ‘Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the law?’ he asked him. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You’ve answered correctly,’ he told him. ‘Do this and you will live.’ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus took up the question and said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ ‘Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ ‘The one who showed mercy to him,’ he said. Then Jesus told him, ‘Go and do the same.’” SELFLESSNESS/GOOD NEIGHBOR
Many stories are coming out about Americans selflessly meeting the needs of others, during the COVID-19 crisis. But one of the most heart-warming is that of “Invisible Hands,” created by Liam Elkind and Simone Palicano, based in New York City. What makes them so special is that they are college students, who have created a volunteer delivery service to distribute groceries and pharmaceuticals; indeed what anyone needs but can’t get out of the house for at this critical time. They have a rapidly growing volunteer base of over 5,000 people. According to Palicano, “In this time of physical distancing, we don’t really want it to be social distancing,” as many people are really lonely at this time and need some social contact, as well as necessities. Their activities are sparking interest outside of NYC, and indeed around the world, by other groups that want to meet the needs of people during this health crisis.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/invisible-hands-show-heart-during-coronavirus-pandemic
I don’t know the religious background of this young couple, but their example of reaching out to meet the needs of the community should spark all of us to similar action, in our own communities. Isn’t that what loving our neighbors as ourselves is truly all about?—Jim L. Wilson and Derick Wilson.
Luke 10:25–37 (CSB) Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then
Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” NEIGHBORS While a North Dakota farmer was
harvesting his wheat and canola, the combine he was
using caught fire. Lane Unhjem went into cardiac
arrest and was rushed to the hospital. While he was
recovering, 60 neighboring farmers showed up at his
place, determined not to let his crops go to waste.
With 11 combines, six grain carts, and 15
tractor-trailers, they harvested over 1,000 acres of
his crop in just seven hours. The Week, October 2, 2020 p. 5 “Who is my neighbor?” asked the
Lawyer seeking eternal life to Jesus. Jesus told him
the story of the good Samaritan. When we see someone
in need, they become our neighbor as we reach out to
help. — Jim Wilson and Rodger Russell Mark 12:31 (CSB) The second is, Love your neighbor as
yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
NEIGHBORS Edward and Cheryl Patton finding trash
coffee cups in their yard for
nearly three years.
They tried mounting
a camera in a tree in front of their home to catch
the person involved.
The pictures never provided much information,
but the couple’s neighbors got involved and one of
them followed a minivan and
wrote down a license number which Edward gave to
local police. Officers
staked out the house and pulled over
a vehicle driven by a 76-year-old man Patton had
once worked with. She and the
man had disagreed over union issues several times. Police say
the man was charged with
harassment and ticket for throwing refuse onto a
public roadway. Afterwards, Patton
told reporters the problem had finally stopped. She
said, “I found it very hard
to believe that someone I knew would do something
like that especially at his
age.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. https://www.klove.com/news/fun-unusual/mystery-solved-cup-tosser-nabbed-21852 Proverbs 3:29
(CSB) Don’t plan any
harm against your neighbor, for he trusts you
and lives near you.
|
