Neighbors

The photo I put up is from earlier this summer of the garden we have next to our house. When thinking about what I wanted to say this week, I felt that presenting a little about our home life might bring my idea into perspective. 

Much like a lot of people in this part of America we value a simpler lifestyle. But unlike some of our neighbors our simpler lifestyle doesn’t promote a closed attitude toward other’s cultures and beliefs. You see, I was taught at a young age that people have a lot more in common than they do different. And throughout my limited life experience that lesson has proved to be very true.

So why do we allow ourselves to become paranoid of people and things that are different? As human beings we each crave community and fellowship, along with a sense of being part of something better than ourselves. Rather that something is religion or custom or geography, each of us are social creatures that seek purpose. Over the millennia we have seen ourselves grow from hunting with rocks, to spears, to swords, to plowing the earth. While socially we developed from tribes, to communities, to societies with rules and customs.

As our societies expanded and came into contact with other societies either, rules of coexistence or outright warfare were created. For most of us today these rules are still in place. For me it would seem that by now, logic had superseded pride and indifference. So that the things we hold in common would open our eyes to create for the good of all and not the genocide of our neighbors.

When looking at the world from 50,000 ft. it would seem that conflict and genocide are all we know. But when you take the time to look a fellow human in the eye, I believe it brings thing into prospective. That the person you are looking at would make a better neighbor than yet another enemy.