Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
a beautiful day for a neighbor...
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won’t you be my neighbor?
- Mr. Rogers
Galatians 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Food for Thought
Almost daily, I think about how blessed I was to grow up in a multi-generational household. Residing within the four walls of our humble abode were my mother, my maternal grandparents, and myself. The home, which was built in 1954 in my hometown, was constructed in the first established neighborhood development for Black residents.
I have many wonderful, poignant memories of growing up in this house. Often, my mind finds a warm, comfy space as I reflect on the mornings I would patiently wait as my granddaddy made me cheese toast before school, the holiday seasons when I’d watch grandma tap her foot to the beat of her favorite Christmas songs as they played on the record player, and the collective “Welcome Home!” we’d give my mama when she returned home from work. Oh, and I can’t forget “Talkin’ Turkey” with my grandma - we’d lay in the bed at night and talk about all kinds of hot kid topics. Our session typically ended with her making me a late-night snack, much to the dismay of my educator mama who believed I should be asleep.
As I type, that warm, comfy space arises, not only because those memories are palpable, but because I’m sitting in the same house I grew up in as I share these thoughts. While my grandparents haven’t been present in their earthly bodies for almost 19 and 15 years, the love they so freely allowed to pour from their hearts into the people who lived under this roof, and crossed the threshold of their yard, still reigns supreme.
You see, my grandparents could serve as ambassadors for the word “welcome”. It was who they were. The foundation they laid for their family wasn’t just reserved for those in their bloodline. It extended to neighbors, their children, friends, friends' friends, my friends, business associates, the mailman, delivery drivers, whomever. All were welcomed.
But, do you want to know what’s really cool about all of this? The majority of the people in my neighborhood exemplified this same characteristic. So, in addition to being grateful for the household I grew up in, I’m also grateful for the neighborhood I was raised in. There were so many good people around us, and if you need an example of a true village, I can share stories for hours of what mine looked like. Neighbors looked out for one another. Neighbors had keys to one another’s houses. I could go to some neighbors' houses and enter without knocking or ringing a doorbell.
Before Amazon was a thing, my friends and I were on delivery and collection duties for various reasons. Every year, my grandma made chow chow. I loathed the time of year when that silver contraption was attached to the counter. I knew for the next few days I would be making my rounds with the jars of “stuff that stank.” And when someone in the neighborhood passed or a neighbor had a death in the family, a few of us grandchildren went house to house collecting funds for neighborhood flowers.
Back then, finding out what was going on with neighbors wasn’t considered nosy; it was genuine concern. If an emergency vehicle showed up in the neighborhood, the phone immediately went to work because neighbors were calling to inquire about where it went. If someone hadn’t been seen in a day, neighbors were putting plans into action to find out what was going on.
I can go on and on about my neighborhood, the neighborhood I’m proud to say still upholds a lot of these principles. What I experienced growing up is what I believe we all need more of today. Today, a lot of us are so busy checking off our lists that we don’t take the time to get to know those around us. I can’t imagine not knowing my neighbors. For me, welcome and neighborliness are an integral part of the concept of home. Home is where we feel connected, where we feel a part, where we feel comfortable. The camaraderie. The acknowledgment. The conversations. The warm, comfy space. ‘Cause let’s face it, if you should feel welcomed anywhere it should be at home.
Being neighborly doesn’t have to be reserved for your neighbors. Think about ways you can exemplify neighborly characteristics when you’re out and about.
If you don’t know your next-door neighbors, strike up a short conversation the next time you see them. Talking about the weather is always a great starting point!
Blessing
Loving God, guide us to treat our neighbors in the same generous way Jesus treated us all - to heal, to give, to befriend, to teach, to see, to forgive, and to love. Help us, God, to be kind, to be generous, to be open to those around us, and to love others with the same grace and intention as we love ourselves. Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Discuss together what being a neighbor looks like to you.
In what ways could you be a better neighbor to those around you?
Share about a time someone treated you as their neighbor. Who was it? What did they do?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask the kids what they think of when they hear the word "neighbor".
Talk about some of the neighbors who live around you. What makes each one special to your family? How can you extend neighborliness to them this week?
Watch an episode of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood or the movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
Kassaundra Shanette Lockhart is a lover of God, her family, her friends, her cat-chirren, adventure, the outdoors, laughing, reading, writing, and food.
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Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!