State Farm has something right when they say, “Like a good Neighbor, State Farm is there.”  In times of crisis we need our neighbors most.  Our neighbors can be our greatest advocates, support systems, and our best friends if we take time to pursue them, and do this with a genuine heart.
 
Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon wrote a book rich with solid and simple advice about how to love our Logistical Neighbors. The ones that live right next door. (Not the people we come in contact with everyday, but really, the person who wakes up in the house, apartment, or yurt next door to us, across the street, or road.)   The Art of Neighboring shows us what it means to literally obey the second commandment.
 
If we want to do REAL Kingdom Christianity, it requires us to dig in and be neighbors. Jesus commands it. We need to drop the agenda… the undercurrent of being friends with our neighbors with the sole purpose of converting them to our faith. We simply just need obey Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s it.  He didn’t say Love your Neighbor to get them to Love me. OR Love your neighbor to get them to love you. Just Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.
 
At Adullam we encourage people to do community in proximity to where you live. We want people to dig into their neighborhoods, to be responsible for their neighbors, the ones who love Jesus and the ones who do not.
 
If we are trying to truly impact the world for His kingdom, people will know us by our love. By the way we care for each other, the way we come along side each other in times of crisis.  The past few months we have had some painful doozies at Adullam and I have had some great opportunities to meet my congregation’s actual neighbors…the actual people that live next door, or across the street who are coming in and taking care of each other’s needs.  The blessings that come out of loving your neighbors are many and rich -- security, resources, support, advice, companionship, and these are just a few.  Dave and Jay challenge us to do a better job of loving.
 
The Art of Neighboring is a book that I would suggest you buy and read… and I don’t do that a lot. If you are a church planter/pastor type, suggest it to your congregation. Their website is rich and full of resources including sermons to start a neighboring movement in your own community.

http://artofneighboring.com/