Love Your Neighbor

Jesus admonished us to love our neighbor and said this was the second greatest commandment. Who really is your neighbor?

 

My 3 surrounding neighbours have kids, love them I do not. However, I appreciate the toys that come over the fence, gives the dog something to do.

 

The one you feel neighborly towards. There is another part of that saying, as yourselves. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

 

Luke 10:25-37
When pressed on who the neighbour is, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Cliff notes: A man who befell to robbers loks dead. Seeminly pious Jewish men (a priest and a Levite) pass him. A Samaritan (who are a closely reated, but separate ethnoreligious people from Judaism) takes pitty and takes the man to be cared for.


Jesus asks, Who acted as a neighbour, the man replies the one who showed mercy. Jesus: go and do likewise.

 

The second and the first are inter-elated. Humans were made in the image and likeness of God, so when we encounter any human we come closest to encountering an aspect of the Real Thing. So I'd say all humans--past, present, and future--are my neighbors

 

Sometimes, loving your neighbor as yourself does not bode well for your neighbor.

 

If you are not loving yourself you are not loving anyone.

 

Bl. Mother Teresa was onced asked why and how she could dedicate her life to the cast aways of society, and five words were her answer. You did it to me. This might sound callous in the sense that she doesn't do it out of love for that person, but I think it regognizes the dignity Christ gave to us by bcoming man in the Incarnation.

 

Everyone.

 

I love my neighbours... but from a distance :-D

 

I think this teaching is the greatest failing of Christianity. But then again, this teaching is essentially the core of Christianity. Perhaps I'm just coming to terms with my rejection of Christian teachings as moral and true.

It's more of an ideal than a reality, because while you can love your neighbor, they almost certainly won't love you. It seems to me that those who live by the precepts of Christian morality are bound to be trampled on. In that sense it becomes apparent why suffering is depicted as such an exalted state in the Christian faith - it's the goal of the tradition.

 

Neodude- Although there are many things I could agree with being a failing or downside of Christianity.... that teaching is def. not one of the things I would consider as such.

And I think you have a misunderstanding by what that teaching is about. It's not about expecting others to love us back or treat us nicely back.... and it's also not about letting others trample all over you. It's just about treating other people with the respect and love and kindness that you would hope people treat you with because all people are worthy of simple respect and kindness. It doesn't mean to allow people to say, keep doing things to hurt you over and over again or maybe giving all your money to someone that doesn't pay you back. It just means not treating others in ways that you wouldn't want anyone else to treat you.

 

If I don't understand it then I'm incapable of living it. So it is a failed teaching to me in that way as well.

Every sane person wants to be loved. Teaching us to give love without any expectation of receiving it is inhuman. I suppose that's why Christ must be depicted as God himself in order to acheive it. But in terms as an example for humans, I don't see the parallel.

I'm not convinced of that.

Although that is precisely what will happen.

 

The failing in this estimation is in making exceptions like, while you can love your neighbor, they almost certainly won't love you. I point out that the saying includes, as yourself. That means identify with as vital to your own interests. Love's quality takes care of itself and our protections extend naturally to those things we call our own. Christ teaching is about sonship in the kingdom of god not about getting fair returns on investment or bartering for affection. We cannot serve two masters. We either behold people as god created them or we behold them as more or less worthy. I am created with self interest and that overriding love affair extends to those things I take responsibility for. Creation is extension. In this world we exist for and with each other.

 

I don't believe for one second that you take responsibility for me, that you exist for me, or that you love me.

 

Of course every sane person wants to be loved. I wasn't trying to say that isn't normal or a good, natural thing.
But yes, to not have the EXPECTATION of receiving it. There are a couple of reasons that I see this. One... when I am truly loving myself and happy with myself, as much as sure, it's great to receive love from others, if I don't receive kindness/love back- it doesn't bother me because I am already filled with love. Another reason in this is, typically if we live a life where we put good things out into the world, good things will come back to us. Not always... not every time....sure, many people are jerks... but overall and over time, we should get back what we put out. EVEN IF that means getting it back in the sense of having a feeling of peace and content in YOURSELF because you like what you have done in this world-including to yourself.

And no, when I said all people deserve basic respect and kindness...sure there can be exceptions. But I mean it's not our job to judge, say the random person on the street who seems mean, as unworthy of respect.

I think though at the end of the day when it comes to what you get back, it's really about how you feel with yourself and the sense of peace or unease that you get.



Oh and btw, I've had people walk all over me in the past. Used to let every stray come and stay here, rent free, when I heard a sob story.... felt bad for all kinds of people and went out of my way for all kinds of people. I have since realized that I can still be a caring person but NOT allow people to do things to me that are going to hurt me or my family.... You can be loving and kind but also set limits and that is something I've had to change in myself and I'm A LOT happier since I have.

 

hummm. Fact is I am giving you my sincere attention, time, our most valuable commodity. My time is eminently important to me. I am not responsible for your measure of belief however. All expressions of love are maximal. There is no condition that prohibits love save for the verdict that it is not deserving. Love exists as a state of being. It is our fundamental state to be in love with our life and when that is not true it means our heart is broken but curiously love restores it.

 

You aren't posting for my benefit. Saying you are giving me anything is dishonest.

 

I am posting for my benefit and I identify with what you are saying. The thing about giving something because you want someone to have it is that it increases both the giver and the receiver.
Our time together is time shared. You call upon dishonor both for me and yourself. What act should I perform to be deemed honorable? Could it be to honor the mind I speak to?

 

As usual, I don't know what you're talking about.