It’s happening more and more. I wake up with random thoughts floating through my brain. I wonder if it’s because this is the only time of day where I am not being bombarded by “news” from every part of this world. Maybe God is filtering through the information that’s been thrown at me during a day and pulling out what is worth taking another look at. I am not sure, but I am beginning to feel that those first few moments of the morning have some of my clearest thoughts of the day.
So what were my thoughts this morning? Well I would think it’s partly due to a movie we watched yesterday. Mike had sat down for a moment and popped on the tv and there was a movie already playing. It was called Whitebird. We didn’t see the beginning, but it was easy to pick up the story line. It’s set in France during World War II, and tells the story of a boy and his family who hide a Jewish classmate. It was a lovely movie, with moments showing the harsh ugliness that can be found in the world, but also the beauty of kindness and sacrifice. What struck me most about the move though were the actions of the towns people….both good and bad. They were the actions of everyday neighbors.
– The Priest who tried to get his Jewish students to safety.
– The young man who gave up his fellow students to the nazi’s.
– The teacher who, though not Jewish, chooses to go with her students to an unknown future.
– The young man, who even though was disabled and mistreated himself, chooses to lead a young girl to safety. Even risking the potential cost to himself and his family.
– The mother and father who share not only their home and safety, but love with a young woman who is not their own.
– The young men who choose to become a part of the mechanism of evil. The one who embraces the power and reaps its rewards. And another who chooses good, when his spirit can’t take another minute of the evil he has aligned with.
These characters all come together to knit this story of evil, love, suspense and ultimately of beauty. How beauty? Well, it’s the beauty of the gospel shown in the midst of the ugliness of our world. It’s what Jesus spoke of….
“This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:12-13
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. “ Luke 10:27
Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed compassion to him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:36-37
The words of Jesus, when lived out, bring about beauty. They are the “kingdom come and will be done” here on earth. And that very amazing way of life is brought about by neighbors. Not anyone of renown, or famous, but everyday people. The characters listed above are all of us. In each country, town and neighborhood you will find some of each. And each day we get to choose who we will be.
There was also one other couple in the movie, and I found their part of the story most interesting. Our heroic family lived outside of the town. On their property was a barn, where they hid the young woman. There was also a neighboring home with an older couple who lived there. The couple were quiet and furtive, so the family felt that they must be collaborators and kept their distance for the safety of their young guest. As our story comes to a dramatic conclusion, the young woman is left without help. In desperation, she races to the door of this unknown couple. It’s then she finds out that they were living such a quiet life, not because they were working with the Germans, but because they were themselves hiding Jews.
At that point I wondered….. If they had only known maybe the two families could have been more help to each other? Or at least, what difference it would have made to not live in fear of each other?
Fear destroys, but love let loose can conquer all. I believe our world peddles fear for its own gain. Unfortunately, I believe the church has even allowed that idol to come into our midst. I also know, I don’t want to live in fear. I mean really…. The bible has 366 verses telling us to “fear not”! So how do we combat the use of fear that is such a scourge to us all?
I believe following God is my best defense, but it is also our best offense. We can’t defeat fear, but God can! I also believe God’s word points to my neighbors as the best way for me to combat fear’s death grip. When I think of loving my neighbor, it means knowing them. Doing life with them! So that when someone wants to stoke fear by putting you into an “us vs them” mentality. We combat that by putting ourselves and our neighbors in the WE category.
I am beginning to believe these things more strongly the older I get…. But now is the time to do my part to live it! I have been in my new home for about a year and a half, and have a few people I know. But there are so many more I don’t. It is time to put my money where my mouth is, and seek to really live out what God is laying so strongly on my heart. To know my neighbors. To stand up with them and be a neighbor like the ones we had when I was young. Like the hated Samaritan…. The person on the outside, that chose to love even when it wasn’t easy or cheap or asked of him. He just did it!
May God help me to do no less!
Cheryl Mendoza 