Last night the Foothills Community Group began a study on the book, "The Art of Neighboring". There were three things that guided our discussion and that I want to ask Crossroads to consider:

1. Why did you move into your residence? Did you move in for the neighborhood, for the schools, for the location in relation to work, for the cost? The book asked us to consider our residence from a sense of place and particularities. To move into a neighborhood, because of the neighbors or more poignantly - to be a neighbor. To be a neighbor to literal neighbors.

2. Have you thought about God's sovereign hand in your sense of place. In Acts 17, Paul speaks at the Aeropogus and reminds his hearers that God has established them for a particular time and a particular place. Have you thought about God establishing you for your particular place. First, in relation to the city of Albuquerque. God has brought you to this place at this time. Second, in relation to your geographic neighborhood in the city. You are a neighbor to other neighbors in High Desert, Four Hills, Nob Hill, etc. God has placed you here and appointed you to be here, now.

3. Do you know your neighbors names? This is the first step to being a neighbor, knowing and being known. Draw a map around your house with the 3 houses across the street, the two next door and the 3 behind. What are those neighbors names? What are their stories? How can you begin the process of begin an neighbor, get to know them by name. We found out that we know 5 of the 8, how about you? The challenge was then to get the name of one neighbor this week. Branch out, get outside, and meet one more neighbor.

A final thought to lead into our further discussions, what happens when a neighbor isn't a neighbor? What happens in situations of conflict? How do you act neighborly to your real neighbors, when it is hard. Here is a quote I came across (Quique Autrey), that gets to both the heart, and gives a practice to help us. This applies to our literal neighbors, our neighbors in our church or circles:

"To do unto your neighbor as you would have them do unto you calls for you to imagine what it would be like to be "them." This is contemplation...Peacemaking resides in the contemplative. Warmongering resides in the reactive. Let us seek to be contemplative...Contemplation enables us to see people from new perspectives, beyond the old reactive perspective of tradition, self-defense, self-interest."
- Brian Zahnd

This week as you think about neighbors, think about how you are like them, think about how you might be a neighbor to them. Contemplate the ways to be a friend, a peacemaker, a neighbor.