Who is your neighbour?
If someone was to ask you the question “who are your neighbours?”, what would be your response?
– Would you say “on the left of our place is this family, and on the other side are an old couple”
– Would you say “Well I don't watch Neighbours that often, but my favourite characters are Paul
Robinson, Lou, and Callum, but I really don't like Karl and Susan”.
– Or would you start telling a story about a guy that gets beaten up, is abandoned by everyone, and
eventually rescued by a man who should have been his enemy?
This third response might sound a bit strange, but it's exactly how Jesus responded when someone asked him the question “who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10). The story he told has now become known as 'the good samaritan'. If you have never read the story, read it here.
Jesus uses the good samaritan story to show all of us that loving our neighbours doesn't just mean being good to our friends, family, or those who live near us. It means loving everyone – even our enemies, even those people we've never met, and especially those who are in desperate need of help.
All God's Children
You may have heard some talk in the news about people coming to Australia as refugees. What do you think when you hear about these people? Some people have plenty of negative things to say about refugees and migrants. However, as Christians, we need to think differently. We need to think “these are my neighbours, these are children of God, these are people I need to love.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 says “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
What can you do to help?
This month, ANGLICARE is launching their 'Light up the Street' campaign. The object of the campaign is to raise awareness of the millions of young people around the world (including in Australia) who are refugees and migrants, and who need our help.
For the many migrant and refugee young people in Sydney, life can be tough. ANGLICARE's 'Migrant and Refugee team' works with these young people to give them hope and to help them rebuild their lives here in Australia.
‘Light Up The Street’ is asking you and your youth group to get involved in reaching out and loving refugees and migrants.
If you're interested in being a part of 'Light Up The Street', follow this link for more information, and start chatting to your friends and youth group leaders about getting involved.