Love thy neighbor

When I was a child, I asked my mother why we can’t have world peace?

My mother reminded me that I can’t even stop fighting with my brother.

She explained that peace is not something that just happens. It has to start with each and every one of us. First we have to learn to love.

Why is it so difficult to love our neighbor?

One, it is difficult because we have different definitions of “my neighbor.” Two, it is difficult because we have different definitions of “love.”

If I define my neighbor as one who is within my small circle of family, friends, and geographic neighbors, then love becomes, by definition, conditional where a person falls within family, friends, and geography.

If I define my neighbor as one who believes like me, votes like me, has the same sexual orientation as me, has the same faith as me, or has the same culture as me, then love becomes, by definition, conditional, including only those like me.

If I define love as a response to being loved, then that limits who I see as my neighbor. My neighbor then becomes conditional on who loves me.

If I define love as only an emotion, then that limits when I see someone as my neighbor. Then, whether someone is my neighbor is temporary, limited to when I feel emotion for them.

It is almost as if I need my neighbor to love my neighbor. They provide a background against which I see how I set conditions, and limit both neighbor and love, and how I may improve.

Some thoughts on loving our neighbor.

— Steven D. Lee 

What does peace mean for you? 

How do you define love? 

What are you willing to do to make the world a little kinder?

Good News submissions

“Many thanks to Christy West and Trish Siler. At the St. Paul CDC Garage Sale, this past first weekend in March, my husband purchased a treadmill. While we were discussing how to get it home, these two ladies overheard us and offered to take it to our home in their truck. We tried to pay them, but they firmly declined, stating that it was no problem and we did not need to pay them.

Not only did they take it to our home, they also picked up our old one and took it back down to the CDC Garage Sale so that it could be sold. Their kindness is deeply appreciated.”

— Pastor George and Elaine Qualley

“Shout out to 15 ladies from Stitchn’ Time and Hooks & Needles who crocheted and knitted 28 afghans, 57 caps, 27 scarfs and 89 miscellaneous items and sent them to wildfire victims in the Panhandle.”

— Dorothy Fischer

Please help us to fill this page with good news. Tell us know who should receive a shoutout for walking the extra mile.

Let us know who put a smile on your face. You can either send them to Taylor Press attn: Good News, 211 W. Third St., Taylor, TX 76574, or post to the Good News Taylor Made Facebook page.

Always remember there is goodness everywhere and kindness matters.