Before leaving the States, many of us were asked, “Why are you going to Honduras?” The standard response seemed to be, “To assist the workers of the Obraje Methodist church in building an Internet cafe, hoping to provide them with opportunities of advancement and interconnectedness.”
Two nights ago, we were blessed with the opportunity to eat dinner with the local workers we were assisting. It’s amazing how sharing a meal with someone can immediately tear down barriers. During dinner, we shared stories of our accomplishments, ambitions, and faith. The mood of the next two days changed dramatically. We no longer felt like “extranjeros”—strangers working beside them; we were neighbors, in an international community working with them.
What defines a stranger? Or better yet, what defines a neighbor? We often have a narrow view of what we consider to be a neighbor. Now I’m not saying we should feel obligated to walk to Honduras to borrow a cup of sugar! But “loving your neighbor as you love yourself” doesn’t have to stop at the end of the block.
Whether thinking of Social Contract Theory or the Golden Rule, we are called to do for others (our neighbors) the things that make us feel loved. Many of us often struggle with this, but it can be sharing personal stories, recognizing a gift or talent in someone, working together to build a church, or sharing a meal with someone. Or, it could be something as simple as this…