Who is my neighbor? “Neighbors are people who live close to each other. Neighbors look at each other; they talk to each other; they listen to each other. That’s how they get to know each other.” Fred Rogers began each episode of his TV show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood with a little ditty that ended with “Won’t you be my neighbor?” Many times, as I watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood as a child, I wondered, “who is my neighbor?” This was an innocent question for as I lived in the country, there were no neighbors living nearby. Though he lived far across the country, Fred Rogers answered with a gentle smile, “I am”. To this day, I believe he was.
In Luke 10:25-29 Jesus is teaching “and, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”
The First Commandment
What follows it the parable of the Good Samaritan, but for a moment, I’d like to go back to just before that parable begins. Did you catch what the lawyer deftly did in his questioning? He skipped past the first commandment to focus on the second in order to “justify himself”. Getting these first two commandments out of order changes everything. If we are living the first commandment, there is no question about how to live the second one. If we skip the first commandment to focus on the second, then we become as James said “driven with the wind and tossed”.
In “The Greatest Possession“, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: “we are speaking here of the first great commandment given to the human family—to love God wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, that is, with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. This love of God is the first great commandment in the universe. But the first great truth in the universe is that God loves us exactly that way—wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. And when those majestic forces from His heart and ours meet without restraint, there is a veritable explosion of spiritual, moral power. Then, as Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “for [the] second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.”
It is then, and really only then, that we can effectively keep the second great commandment in ways that are not superficial or trivial.”
Do, or do not
So, my friends, what changes do we make in our lives to refocus our efforts on the first and greatest commandment? I wish I had an answer for each of you, but honestly, I’m still learning what that means for me. But here is what I know; love takes effort. Love takes commitment and diligence. Love requires humility. As master Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try”. To keep the first commandment so that I am able to live the second great commandment, I must get up and do, not just sit and stew.
Daily Steps
Following these daily steps help me in my commitment to love God wholeheartedly: 1) Pray honestly every day. Ask God what is the next step I need to take, just that step nothing else. 2) Study the scriptures and the inspired words of the prophets daily. 3) Take responsibility for what goes into my soul via media, music, literature, and thought. Being honest with myself that maybe it’s time for some spiritual spring (or fall) cleaning. 4) Trust Christ and believe Him, not just believing in Him. But believe Him when He says through His Atonement I can become a new creature. 5) Serve others as He did.
Mr. Rogers asked each of us if we would be his neighbor. God has commanded us to be neighbors to all whom we meet. As we go throughout our day, let us keep our eyes open for a chance to be who God wants us to be.
God bless you all this day!
