Who Is My Neighbor?
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 08/11/23
“When my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor. . . Jesus never commanded me to love my religion”[1]
I’ve never really liked the differentiation between “religion,” “spirituality,” and “faith.” I especially don’t like it when someone says, “well, I’m spiritual, but not religious.” At the same time, I do think someone could be “religious” and “not spiritual”! Maybe this is my West Coast independent streak - I mean, I really hate checking identity and rating boxes. I think most of the time the categories aren’t helpful or particularly accurate, and they certainly feel confining. Perhaps instead one could say, “well, I’m not part of any organized faith community, but I do have some beliefs.”
I think what I don’t like about the distinction between “religion” and “spirituality” is how it can be used to put people in the “other” category down. Real life is so much more complex than categories - especially regarding anything related to faith - and life is hard enough to get through without critiquing others.
BUT, I happen to love the sentiment in Barbara Brown Taylor’s statement above. This comes out of a book she wrote after teaching a world religions course at Piedmont College. In Holy Envy she recounts visiting various religious communities with her students and her growing awareness of how God was at work in all those religions.
Friends, that is a bold statement to make when religions have relied on the belief that they are the only true religion. I don’t want to dissect ultimate truth right now, but rather to express appreciation for the fact that she reminds us that our own Christian faith leads us to love our neighbor no matter their religion/spirituality/faith.
Mark 12:29-31 contains Jesus’ answer to a religious teacher’s question about which commandment is the greatest:
The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The Second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’
Friends, the problem is not that our religion and our neighbor are pulling us in opposite directions, but rather that we have forgotten that central to our religion is our neighbor. So, perhaps if our religion is asking us to choose it over our neighbor, we need to evaluate whether our religion is centered on Jesus.
This week I pray that you find ways to live out your Christian religion/faith/spirituality through loving your neighbor! Perhaps take them some zucchini from your garden or find a way to fix an old argument.
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
[1] Barbara Brown Taylor, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others.
