Love Your Neighbor 爱你的邻舍
Dexu Xia
Love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18
It was just a fun game at youth group, but it held a lesson for us: rather than switching neighbors, learn to love the ones you have. Everyone is seated in a large circle, except for one person who stands in the middle of the circle. The standing person asks someone sitting down, “Do you love your neighbor?” The seated person can answer the question in two ways: yes or no. He gets to decide if he would like to swap his neighbor with someone else.
Don’t we wish we could choose our “neighbors” in real life too? Especially when we have a colleague whom we can’t get along with or a next-door neighbor who loves to mow the lawn at odd hours. More often than not, however, we have to learn to live with our difficult neighbors.
When the Israelites moved into the promised land, God gave them important instructions on how to live as people who belonged to Him. They’re told to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18), which includes not spreading gossip or rumors, not taking advantage of our neighbors, and confronting people directly if we have something against them (vv. 9–18).
While it’s difficult to love everyone, it’s possible to treat others in loving ways as Jesus works in and through us. God will supply the wisdom and ability to do so as we seek to live out our identity as His people.
By: Poh Fang Chia
Who are the “neighbors” you find hard to get along with? How can you love them better?
Father, please help me to reflect Your love to those around me—even the difficult ones.
要爱你的邻舍好像爱自己。—利未记19章18节，新译本
这只是青年团契一个有趣的游戏，却让我们学到一个功课：与其换邻舍，不如学习爱你毗邻而居的人。在进行活动时，所有的人坐成一大圆圈，只剩一个人站在中间。那站着的人要问一个坐着的人：“你爱你的邻舍吗？”坐着的人可以回答“爱”或“不爱”。他有机会决定是否要更换坐在他身旁的人。
在现实生活中，我们不也希望能选择“邻舍”吗？尤其是如果我们有一位很难相处的同事，或者总是爱扰人清梦的邻居。不过，在一般情况下，无论邻居（或同事）如何令人难以忍受，我们都必须学习与他们相处。
古时候，当以色列百姓进入应许之地时，上帝给了他们重要的指示，让他们明白上帝的子民应该如何生活。上帝告诉他们：“要爱你的邻舍好像爱自己”（利未记19章18节，新译本），包括不要搬弄是非、不可占邻舍的便宜，以及若对邻舍有什么意见，应该当面指正（9-18节）。
虽然我们很难去爱每一个人，但是当耶稣在我们内心与透过我们动工时，你我就可以用恩慈的方式待人。当我们积极地活出上帝子民的身份时，上帝会提供智慧与力量，让我们能够爱邻舍好像爱自己。
作者： 谢葆芳
有谁是你觉得难以相处的“邻舍”？
你要如何更爱他们？
天父，帮助我向周遭的人展现祢的爱，
即使是对那些难相处的人，也是如此