One of my favorite gatherings that SLF hosts is our monthly CaN (Churches as Neighborhood) Centers luncheon. This gathering of leaders, primarily from churches and non-profits, meets to explore how we can look for and encourage Shalom (peace, well-being, wholeness) in our community. This year we are exploring the four relational dimensions of Shalom at each CaN lunch meeting. Using Jeremiah 29:4-7 as our Biblical basis, we see Shalom existing between a) people and God, b) people and their neighbors, c) people and their own mental health, and d) people with the land/community resources. At the October gathering, I gave a talk on Shalom between people and their neighbors. Below are a few thoughts from the talk…
We all know people are complicated, inconsistent, and the cause of most of our heartbreak. However, they are also what makes life interesting, beautiful and fulfilling. In order to experience lasting Shalom with our neighbors, I have three recommendations which I have collected from some of my favorite authors, storytellers, and the Biblical writers.
1. Be more curious than judgmental. This one is particularly hard because it requires us to listen longer than we probably want to, and ask more questions to clarify. It’s so easy to arrive at our own conclusions, but, when we do this, we miss the opportunity to understand our neighbors. Even if we understand them, that doesn’t mean we have to agree. Understanding can lead to respect and even love, and this is what Jesus always calls us to.
2. Be comfortable with disagreeing. When was the last time you said, “I disagree with you, but that is okay. I’m committed to being your friend.” How about the last time you said this to someone in person, rather than online? Disagreement seems to be a lost art these days, but we have so much to gain from listening well to our neighbors and discovering how they arrived at their conclusions. Again, this is a form of loving our neighbors.
3. Believe we are bound together MORE by love than agreement. Please don’t misunderstand me, agreeing is important and good, and sometimes it is absolutely necessary. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you agree with one another.” Nope. He said if you love one another. Love is expressed in sacrificial service. It is patient, kind, and long-suffering. It holds us together more than anything else.
As we move together as a community in the aftermath of this election season, it is my prayer that we would look for and encourage Shalom (right relationships) with our neighbors!
